Fleeting Moments
by Ronald reagan
Summary: When Marco Diaz is at his lowest, a new, bright face adds a splash of color to his otherwise dull and dark world. But with this new friend comes a dangerous enemy, and a terrifying quest across dimensions to find their way back home. Will they find peace with each other, or will their pasts drive them further apart. Star and Marco Neverzone AU Fanfic
1. First impressions

_**Fleeting Moments**_

_Ch. 1_

**_First Impressions_**

* * *

The evening air was cool and crisp, a surefire sign that the ending of the year was drawing closer. The many, many stars that littered the night sky all seemed to twinkle and shine for a fleeting moment that would last forever, and the half-moon was ablaze with a peaceful glow that bathed the land beneath it in silver light. As it ruled over the night sky, the world below was slow to turn, every moment captured by its light seemingly lasting a lifetime.

But some moments pass us by, drifting through our lives as little more than a memory. And as Star Butterfly found herself walking aimlessly on her first day on Earth, she fell. Fell into the life of a young man standing at the center of a bridge spanning over the city moat, with only the moonlight to keep him company.

He wore a red hoodie, and as Star approached, he pulled it over his head after meeting her eyes for only a fleeting second. He leaned against the railing that separated him from the empty space below, and did his best not to meet her gaze again. Star, noticing the young man's shyness, took it not as an act of isolation, but as a challenge. A challenge that she couldn't share a moment under the moon with him, and find some company in her otherwise vanishing evening.

She stopped beside him and looked out over the moat, noticing how the city skyline seemed to reflect the sea of stars above like a calm body of water. Leaning against the railing herself, she managed a soft smile and nudged his shoulder. "It's a beautiful night for stargazing, isn't it? Kinda makes you wonder how much is really out there, ya know?"

He didn't answer, instead opting to scoot a few feet further away from her. Star let her smile wilt, but decided to press just a bit more. "My names Star, my mom had a thing for cosmic stuff. How about you?" she asked, inching closer.

"Look, I'd rather be alone right now, if you don' mind," he mumbled back, again distancing himself from her. Star opened her mouth to speak, but found no words ready to be given. She cupped her hands and blew into them, rubbing them together for warmth as she turned back to face the skyline.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you or anything, I was just thinking maybe-" she began, but he cut her off.

"Well, you are. Bothering me, I mean. I just wanna be alone right now. So, can you go?" His voice was a little hoarse, like he had been shouting, or singing at the top of his lungs for hours. Star pressed her lips together and nodded, stepping back from the rail. She didn't like bothering people, but sometimes, in a moment like this, some people just prefer their own company.

"Sorry, then. I'll...leave you to it, whatever it is you're out here doing," she answered, not bothering to hide the defeated tone of her voice. The man nodded, not turning to look at her. As she stepped around him however, she noticed a piece of paper in his hand, held against the top rung of the rail. His knuckles calloused, so she figured the guy must be a fighter, but she chose not to address it.

However, when she was little more than a few feet away, he turned, abruptly facing her and showing his glistening face, still wet with tears. "My names Marco...Marco Diaz, by the way. I'm sorry, if I-… _that I_ offended you. I just," he stopped, wringing the piece of paper in his hands. Even with Stars tenacity to read people, she couldn't tell if he was scared, sad, or angry. Just that he had more than this conversation on his mind. "I just wasn't expecting anyone to wanna talk to me. I don't… have a lot of friends."

Star managed a weak smile and nodded to him, gesturing to herself. "Well, Marco. I can be your friend, I happen to be really great at making new ones!" She expected him to at least smile at that, but he only turned back to face the calm waters below them. Leaning against the railing, he bit his lip and shook his head.

"We can't be friends, Star," he muttered under his breath, "I don't want to do that to you. But thanks for stopping to talk."

Star frowned and tilted her head towards him, mirroring his position several feet away. "Why not? Do what to me? I don't bite, I promise." She again expected him to laugh, or at least smile, but he held steadfast to his stoic expression, not meeting her gaze.

"You don't want to be friends with me. I'm not gonna be around long enough for you to remember anyway." He let out a sigh, and pressed himself against the railing some.. Star deepened her inquisitive frown and scootched a foot closer, trying to read his expression, but Marco again distanced himself from her, holding his single piece of paper aloft.

"Are you moving or something? Because I have this pretty crazy way of getting to really far places to-"

"I'm not moving," he answered quickly, his tone sounding more and more strained as he spoke, "I'm not going anywhere. Ever. I'm just going away." Star made to ask about how he planned on going somewhere without _going _somewhere, when it struck her. It hit like a forty-ton hammer what was happening, why he was alone, why he was distancing himself, why he didn't want to be friends, and why he had a single note in his left hand.

"Oh... you're… you mean you're gonna-"

"Jump. Tonight, yeah. I'm going away, and I can't take my friends with me," he answered, letting out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. Star simply stared at him, too shocked to find the words that could match what she was thinking. Marco jerked his head towards the other end of the bridge and muttered "You should go. You've been nice, so I don't want you to see this. Please."

Star moved her mouth to speak, but no words would form as she stammered a response. He was serious. "M-Marco, y-you don't have to do something like _that,_ why don't you just-" she made to step closer to him, but when she was within three feet of the boy in the red hoodie, he pressed himself against the railing again, looking at her with dangerous eyes.

"Don't… don't come any closer. I mean it. Just walk away, and you can tell people you tried to stop me," he warned, but Star wasn't having it. "No, I'm not leaving you alone. Why don't we just talk for a little while, it's such a pretty night, why waste it?"

To her surprise, he actually laughed at that, shaking his head with a smile before meeting her eyes for the second time that night. "Anything you could say to me won't stop me from doing this, I already made up my mind, so don't bother trying to-"

"That's alright, I won't try to tell you no, just- just talk to me." An idea popped into her head as she gave him another foot of space. "Why don't you tell me about yourself? What do you do for fun?"

Marco let his sarcastic grin fall into a frown as he glared out across the moat at the city. He hated it for shining, even on a night like this. "I practiced Karate. And I did some ballet. I thought it would make me seem cool like that actor, Mackie Hand, and that the girls would like that I could dance. I know that's stupid...but-"

"No no!" Star cried out a little too loudly. She noticed his shocked expression and decided to play it differently. "I mean, that's really cool that you can fight like that, and still be man enough to do something as elegant as ballet." He didn't seem to buy it, so she went on. "I tried learning how to dance when I was a little girl. But my dad always said I was built for fighting, so I gave it up."

"Why'd you do that? Didn't you want to dance?" Marco asked, expressing interest in her for the first time. Star wanted to barret him with whatever he wanted to hear, but she steeled her nerves and shook her head. "I did, at the time, but I let what other people wanted from me, control what _I_ wanted from me. So I learned how to fight like my dad wanted."

She bit her lip and tapped the railing a couple of times, unsure of where to go on. "Maybe you and I can tussle a little bit sometime?" she offered. Marco only shook his head. "I don't think so. I'm not planning on… sticking around, you know. But I appreciate it."

Star felt her heart skip a beat when he moved his foot, fearing the worst, but he only kicked a pebble off the bridge. Biding her time, she nodded to him and simply asked: "Why?" He turned to face her, clearly confused by the question. "Why what?"

"Why are you...leaving? I'm not trying to talk you down, mostly. But...I'm curious. Tell me a little more about the guy who won't be my friend." Star stared at him, unable to see his eyes clearly, but to her relief, he gave in and let out another sigh. "It's stupid. I don't want-"

"I don't care. If you won't let me stop you, at least tell me why, even if you think it's stupid. I'm curious." Star was unrelenting, hoping upon hope that he could just give in and trust the stranger on the bridge. To her immediate relief, he finally caved.

"I'm alone, it's just me," he began, stopping himself only to hold up a hand, "I know _you're _here, but in general, in life. I'm alone. My parents don't even care who I am, I don't have any friends, and…" he met Stars gaze. "No one understands me. I know that sounds lame-"

"It doesn't, really," Star affirmed, holding his gaze, "I know what you mean. I feel the same way."

"Do you now," Marco asked, cocking an eyebrow at her and shaking his head. But Star held true. "I do. My family sent me here because they couldn't understand the real me. The real Star Butterfly. Rather than accept me, they sent me away because I wasn't what they wanted. What they could control. I know how it feels to be pushed away because you're different."

Marco let that sink in for a moment, once again finding himself captured by the luminescent semicircle of silver above their heads. "Maybe you do. But you have friends. I don't. I'm all alone, and no one cares enough to know the real me."

"I care," Star offered quietly, shifting a few inches closer. Marco scoffed at the idea and folded his arms against the railing. "You care because I picked the wrong, beautiful night to finally be free. You care because you have to."

He thought he was right, knew she was just another mask trying to make him happy, but she proved him wrong once again. "I cared before I knew what you were doing. I wanted to be friends before you said a word. You looked like you needed one, and I need one too."

"Really," he asked sarcastically, but Star nodded. "I'm all alone too, Marco. When I got sent away, I couldn't take my friends with me. I'm in a whole new world that I don't understand, and I have nobody to show me all the things it has to offer. That's why I talked to you. You seem to have a knack for picking cool places...for less than ideal reasons, but still. I don't have anyone either. And yeah, your parents might not _get_ you, but you have a home. That's more than I can say about me."

"What, is it a contest? You think just because you have it worse, that I should be grateful?" Marco asked, straightening up and gripping the railing. Star held up her hands defensively and took a step back. "No no no, that's not what I meant, I was just… trying to show you that I know. What you're going through."

She expected Marco to disagree, but all he did was untense his shoulders and rest against the railing. They stayed like that for a few minutes in silence, before he turned his head slightly, just enough to see her in his peripheral. "You really don't have a home?" He asked quietly.

"Nope," she answered in an oddly cheery voice, "I just got here today. My parents enrolled me in school, and left without telling me what to do. So I did what I always do."

Marco turned to look at her more directly, a curious stare on his face. "And what's that?"

"I went for a walk. Hoping I'd find a friend."

"Might get yourself killed doing something like that at midnight."

"And look at me now, trying to save a friend," she shot back, a gentle smile on her face. She expected a witty remark, but Marco just shook his head. "We're not friends. And you're not saving anyone." He expected Star to push again, to try and relate to him a little more, but he didn't hear anything. Looking over at where she had been, he found her leaning against the railing, not an ounce of emotion of her face as she stared at the skyline.

"Look, you're super nice, and I'm sorry you have to go through...whatever you're going through, but-" Marco couldn't find the words, so Star gave them to him. "But you want to be alone. Right?"

Marco opened his mouth, but all that was left was a sigh. "Yes. I'd like to be left alone."

"Are you scared?" She asked quickly. The question caught him off guard.

"Scared of what? Jumping? It's a four-second fall, and then nothing. Why would I be scared?" He tried to meet her gaze, but now it was her turn to avoid his look.

"Not scared of jumping. Of giving up. Doesn't it scare you to leave all of this-," she gestured to the shining stars, her namesake, and the half-moon above them, "-behind? To just take life lying down? To not fight it, like you know you want to?"

He was silent for a moment. The two simply enjoying the cold air around them for nearly a minute before he spoke. "I tried to fight. I fought every day, and no one cared. I fought it at home, I fought it in bed, I fought it at school. Now? I'm done fighting, so I'm not scared to just let go. I've struggled for air long enough to give up trying to swim."

"So let me show you how to swim. Let me help you breathe. Let's fight together," Star suggested. She tried a tentative step closer, and this time, he didn't object. "I need a friend, and so do you. So let's help each other."

"Why do you want to help me so bad? You don't even know me," Marco stated, letting his eyes sting with the formation of fresh, salty tears. Star chanced another half step closer, now only two feet away. "Because I've only known you for ten minutes, and I already don't know what I'd do if I lost you. Don't give up yet, don't give up on me, Marco. I want to fight with you, so don't make me fight alone too. Because you might be used to it, but I'm scared of giving up."

Marco watched her as she took one more step closer, and fought the urge to back away. His knees were shaking, struggling to move and stay out at the same time, like this girl, this random girl that had shown up out of nowhere, had a gravitational pull he couldn't escape.

"I told you, before I knew anything about you, that I wanted to be your friend," she began, reaching out to him for his hand, "so don't leave me. Don't push me away like my parents did. Like your parents did." Marco watched as she slowly reached for his hand, which held his rushed goodbye note to his family, and took it gently. She was warm against the cold air of the night, and without a word, she pulled him into a hug, wrapping him in more warmth than he could have ever imagined.

She held onto him, even as he subconsciously tried to move away. She kept her arms wrapped tight around him, letting him bury his face into her shoulder as he cried hot, wet tears. He wept, and he felt his soul pour out of his body, and into hers. It felt almost alien to lean on another humans shoulder, after so many years of having his own back.

"I got you, Marco Diaz," she whispered into his ear, "I'm not going anywhere, if you'll be my friend."

Marco inhaled a coarse, heavy breath and nodded into her shoulder. "Deal, Star Butterfly," he whispered back. After what felt like an eternity, but was only a simple fleeting moment in the moonlight, the two separated long enough for Marco to take her hand, and begin walking her to the end of the bridge. "Let's go home, Star. And thank you, for being my friend."

* * *

**"**_Not everyone can see the world the way you do. Sometimes, you have to step into theirs, to help paint a picture of yours. Share your experiences, your pain, your laughter, because if you spend your entire life in your own world, you'll only ever see it the way you do."_

_~Mr. Ronald Reagan_


	2. Second Chances

_**Fleeting Moments**_

_Ch. 2_

**_Second chances_**

_~For my late brother~_

_I know this isn't worth anything real, and there's a million other things I could do for you, but this is what makes me happy, and I know you understand. It's __not something you'd have cared for, but even so, it's for you._

* * *

The front door creaked open like a rusty, slow-turning carousel, revealing the inky expanse of Marcos home for all who wished to see. He held it open as Star tentatively stepped around him, looking around at what she could see. Which wasn't much until Marco flipped on the lights to illuminate the space, and she could take it all in.

"You have a beautiful home, Marco," Star complimented with a genuine smile. Whether it was the careful touch of art, or the foreign style of decoration that was so engrossing, she couldn't tell. But nonetheless, she found it wonderful. Marco shrugged, moving further into the house on autopilot. He picked up some stray pizza boxes, and some thrown-to-the-wind nacho plates as Star placed her bags by the couch, still looking around the living room. "Are your parents asleep? I can keep it down if they are" She asked, lowering her voice.

"Try 'not here'. They peaced out two weeks ago to Samoa, and they're not supposed to be home until next month, so feel free to scream if that's what you wanna do." Marco's expression was scornful and bitter as he continued cleaning, but Star looked past it and saw the sadness in his eyes. The loneliness they kept secret from the world until she had met him on the bridge must have been unbearable, but thats why she was here, right?"

"Are you sure it's okay if I stay here then? I don't wanna impose, or be here if they wouldn't approve of my-" she began to ramble, one of her bad habits when she got nervous, but Marco waved her down and dismissed the questions with an eyeroll. "We used to have exchange students stay here every year, sometimes twice a year. All we have to say is that you're an exchange student starting in January, and we're good." He looked down at her bags, wondering where she had been keeping them, but decided it wasn't really an issue, being already in his house. "Do you want help with those?"

Star's glance moved from the fireplace's mantle and its many decorations down to her pair of suitcases. "Oh! I should be able to-... Maybe- yes, please. And, where do you want me to stay?" She asked, trying, and failing to hide the small bit of excitement in her voice. She wasn't sure if she fully trusted Marco to be by himself yet, but given that he had taken her all the way here, maybe he would be fine for the night, and maybe she could relax a little too.

He gestured for her to follow him up the stairs, every other wooden step creaking just as loud as the front door had. As they walked, though, Star noticed the family photos lining the walls in a speckled mess of smiles and years since gone. Marco seemed happy in so many, with his parents. They looked like such a lovely family, and yet, here he was contemplating on letting it all go. How fake were his smiles, she couldnt help but wonder, and how long had he been the way he was on the birdge. "Come on, Star, your rooms up here," Marco called to her, tearing her focus from his once smiling face.

He led her down a hallway and opened a door across from what she could only assume was his, holding an arm out towards the darkness that lay beyond the threshold. "You can crash here if you want... I know it's not a whole lot, but-"

"But it's perfect," Star finished after flicking on the lights and drinking in the look and feel of the entire space, "_thank you_, Marco. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Marco, for what it was worth, managed a smile, and stuffed his hands in his hoodie, leaning against the doorway. Call it pride or some twisted sense of kindness, but it felt really good seeing someone happy with _him_ of all people. For once. "Well, you helped me, more than anyone else ever will. It's kinda the least I can do. Plus, now I have someone to share my chores with, so- bonus."

"Ahhh, and the picture falls into place," Star giggled, folding her arms in mock betrayal, "Almost wish I'd have let you-" her smile immediately fell, and her eyes shot wide open as she fully registered what she was about to finish saying, clamping both hands over her mouth. "I'M SO SORRY oh my god I can't- I meant- Marco I was only-" she stuttered for a coherent thought to finish itself, but she found Marco stifling a _laugh_, of all things.

"Oh, uhm...no, Star it's alright, seriously. I was trying to do something really...really stupid. I don't blame you for giving me some flak, especially when you're the person who took the time to try and help…" he gave her a warm, reassuring smile and patted her shoulder, his genuine forgiveness rocking her world. Finally, she let out her breath and slumped backward, plopping down onto the bed like she had lost all of her endless energy from earlier. "I don't exactly have a filter," she mumbled, "so I'm sorry in advance if I get a little, 'too much'. Sometimes I get super nervous and I just say what's on my mind."

"Are you nervous?" Marco asked, sitting beside her, happy to try and help her, for all she had done for him. She nodded to his question, answering, "a little, yeah. Like I told you earlier, new city, no family, no friends, and I'm staying with a total stranger alone in his house and really I have no idea if I can-" she slowed down and exhaled, something her mother had taught her, before she had grown into her rebellious and troublesome phase, to deal with her nerves. But thankfully, Marco was quick to come to the rescue.

"I'm nervous too. About a stranger staying in my house," he chuckled, earning an uneasy nod of assent from Star, "especially when she knows more about me than anyone else I know. But I feel better knowing it's someone who cared enough to help me when I was at my lowest. To talk to me when I needed a friend."

"Well, what are friends for, Diaz?" Star returned, noticing his expression shift for just a moment. He looked scared and uneasy for a fraction of a second before his eyes returned to their tired and calm state. Star would have missed it if she was anyone else, but she was Star Butterfly, and she knew how to read people better than her written language. "We are _friends_, aren't we?" She asked, this time with more caution in her voice, and to her relief, she was met with a thin smile and a nod. He may not have admitted it then to her, but he was happy to admit it now.

"We're friends, Star. At the very least I'd like to give it a try."

"Being friends with someone you don't know?" She asked, nudging his elbow with a grin. He returned it and found himself feeling warmth in his chest for the first time in a very long time. "Especially when it's someone I don't know," he said with barely a hint of distaste, adding, "But even if I _don't_ know you, I think I'll take a page out of your book and _get_ to know you."

Stars grin cracked ever so slightly under the weight of his proposition, the reality of sharing one's life with a friend not fully sinking in until now. She laced her hands together and from her posture, seemed to shrink into herself, betraying her prior attitude of excitement. "I'm an open book for you, Diaz, but there are some things about me you might not understand."

Quickly, Marco stood from her new bed and left to retrieve her bags, both of which had been noticeably heavier than he would have anticipated. Setting them down beside the dresser, he pulled himself a chair from her very simple desk and sat back down, watching her with careful interest. If the one light in his very dark life felt even half as alone as him, as she said she did, then he owed her nothing less than a chance. "Try me. Tell me about where yourself, Star, and I'll try to understand."

Star pressed her lips together and shifted uneasily on her bed. He was clearly serious, and she didn't dare try to withhold things about herself from the boy that had already given her so much of him. But where should she even start? For a moment, she sat in deep thought while Marco waited patiently, patience being one of his sharpest virtues, until she finally broke and let out her captured breath. "I think...it would be easier to just...show you, if that's okay," she murmured, moving her purse towards her lap, "just...don't freak out, and try to keep calm, okay?"

Marco wasn't sure what that meant, or why she was suddenly acting so restrained after behaving like such an easy-going girl on the bridge, but when she pulled out something that looked like a baby rattle with wings? He was even more confused. "What is that?" He asked, pointing at the rattle, "Is that like, some kind of toy? Or is it something from your childhood?"

Star bit her lip, debating whether she should call her next move off in lieu of something a bit simpler to grasp, but in for a penny, in for a pound. This was something that would come up eventually, no matter how hard she raged against the truth coming out. So without answering, she cast her first spell since coming to Earth.

"_Sparkle_," she whispered, and the bulb of her 'rattle' began to glow bright pink, its light illuminating both their faces as a gentle thrum began to sound.

_"Glitter," _she hummed, making the star-shaped gem at the bulb's center spark and sizzle with charged energy as Marco looked on with growing alarm and shock.

_"Bomb,"_ she continued, ignoring Marco's wide eyes and open mouth as the rattles hum turned into a low whine, a high pitched whir spooling up before she whispered the last word.

_"Expand."_ Marco made to move back, his brain not believing what his eyes were screaming was really happening. He was terrified of what he was seeing, but just before he could move, he locked eyes with Star. She _wasn't_ afraid, and her expression gave only her resignation away. Like she had given up on something before her display was even over. Marco wanted so desperately to run from the hellish scene before him, but her remorseful gaze kept him locked in his seat as the wand stopped in silence.

"Is it ov-" _***BOOOOOM!***_

It was nothing short of a hurricane when the wand unleashed all of its charged energy, a blinding flash of heat and light stealing Marco's senses, making him wish he had just gotten off his ass and ran. He was sure he was dying, feeling no alarm or remorse for death's release, but the pain didn't come. The pain he was so ready to accept earlier that night, and withstand even now, never touched him. He felt the heat and the light begin to die down and the vibrations of _something_ moving beneath his feet fade away. Even still, he didn't dare open his eyes, being either too afraid to see what had happened or too content with pretending none of it was real.

But Star's hand gently rested on his forearm, rocking him slightly as the ringing in his ears began to recede. "-co! Marco! Are you okay! I'm sorry if that was too much, I didn't know it was _that strong_! I've never used that spell before and I didnt think it was so loud and bright and I-"

Pulling himself together, Marco held up a hand to let her know he was alright, and opened his eyes to let them quench his curiosity. She was standing in front of him, her apologetic manner remaining constant as she took a step back. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have done that…" she offered, watching him for any signs of critical distress. But Marco only conveyed his awe through the same wide eyes and shock he had worn when she was casting her spell.

The room around them had changed completely, no longer the small guest room opposite his. It was now a towering, cylindrical structure at least three stories tall, and filled to the brim with girlish belongings and appurtenances of medieval royalty. Marco could have spent hours just ogling at the dazzling sight, drinking in the new surroundings, but Star caught his eye, waiting for some kind of rejoinder.

In reality, he didn't have one, but that was to say this _was _reality. As far as he knew, he had died, and was now experiencing some fantastical sort of afterlife. His gaze swept around the room once more before falling to Star, who examined him carefully with those captivating pools of sapphire. "What _was that?!_" Were the first words out of his mouth, immediately followed by "How did you _do_ that?! Are you like, an angel or something?! Am I dead?!" All in all, not the response either of them were hoping for, Star much less than Marco, but she was prepared for it, whereas Marco was not.

"I'm not an angel, and you're not dead, as far as I can tell," she answered softly, keeping her voice level so as not to startle him any further than she clearly already had. "_That_...was magic, Marco Diaz. I'm a magical princess from another dimension, called Mewni."

Suddenly, everything began to fall into place. The bubbly attitude, the odd dress he tried his beat to ignore, the odd phrases she had passed around, and all the magic? It was now so painfully obvious to Marco, he was surprised with himself it took this long to notice. "So you're a street magician from europe?"

Star's timid delivery was stunted in exchange for a confused look, thrown for a loop she wasn't expecting. "Uhhh...Europe? Marco I have no idea what that is but this isn't a trick, this is _real_, _magic."_ She punctuated that with another, smaller burst of blue energy from her wands bulb, but Marco snatched the wand away and held it closer to his face to get a better look.

"And I'm the Easter Bunny, seriously, Star how does this thing-" he never got to finish inquiring of her how it worked, as the wand suddenly jerked awake, zapping his hand with a sizzling *_pop_* before shooting back to Stars. The force of its motion sent Marco's hand reeling, and he gripped his wrist with a hiss of pain. "Gah! Fffffffff- jeez?! What the heck was that for? The stupid thing shocked me!"

"Yes I know! Because it's real magic, and the wand only responds to _me!_"

"Bullshit," Marco spat, stepping back from her as she tried to help, not his first time doing so that night, "Magic isn't real, Star, and your stupid wand shocked the hell out of!"

"Well I didn't tell you to snatch it from me, did I?!" Star answered back,her voice every bit as impatient as his. But with some difficulty, she exhaled slowly to regain her composure. "I know it's hard to accept but-"

"Hard? Star, if magic is real do you have any idea how insane that would make-"

"BUUUT, you have to work with me here. I'm from a long line of Queens that rule over a kingdom called Mewni in another dimension, and this wand is the most powerful magic artifact in existence," she explained, her filter wearing down as she belted everything she could to him, "and I don't really know how to use it. I don't know how stuff works here on Earth, but I do know you all have a pretty good idea of what _real_ magic is- is supposed to be, so why is this so different?"

"Yeah, we have an _idea_, but you know how crazy it is, right? What you were doing was just a magic _trick_, and if you wanna live here, ha, I got news for you: that's gonna wear thin pretty quick." Star glared at him, and another riposte about how rude he was being despite his earlier position was fresh on the tip of her tongue. But she held it in. With more willpower than she had mustered since leaving her home, she nodded slowly, realizing _her_ position _now_. Marco was offering her a place to live on Earth, and she was already arguing with him after his...bad choices earlier. It was probably best not to push him too hard.

"Okay, you're right. It's just a trick, and this is just a toy that lights up," she conceded, sitting back down on her newly transformed bed, "But I _am_ a princess, from Mewni. And I'm not going to argue with you about that. Okay?"

Marco wanted to argue, for whatever reason, but he knew better than to push her too hard. She was clearly new to the area, and maybe a bit too dedicated to her stage role, but he did promise her to try. And if Marco could safely, happily call himself anything, it was a fighter, and he wasn't going to let his first real 'friend' in years slip through his fingers. "Okay. I'll call you Princess Star if you-"

"No!" She yelled, her eyes wide and alarmed, "just- just Star is fine, really."

"Are you sure?" Marco asked, tilting his head, "If it makes you feel more at home, I'm happy to do at least something for you." But Star waved it off like it wasn't something worth discussing. She seemed nervous, but she wasn't rambling, so Marco could only assume it was something akin to fear that was spoiling her good nature.

"I'm sure. ...no one can know I'm here, Marco. Only my parents know, and I'd like to keep it that way. Less trouble for me-...for us, that way." Marco nodded deliberately, but he was put off by the use of the word _us_. Why did she seem so reticent all of the sudden? Were people looking for her? Bad people? Whatever the reason, he didn't press, sensing it was a sensitive subject. Something she could learn in her time here, even if he was happy she hadn't _yet_.

Hoping to fix the tension in the air, and hoping she would feel better if she took her mind off of home, Marco leaned forward and gave her a reassuring, warm smile, offering a simple "Thank you, by the way."

Star figured he was talking about the bridge, how close he was to death, how far over the edge he had been, but she had to ask anyway. "For what?"

Marco met her blue eyes and shook his head, trying to find a good word for crazy, before plainly answering, "For being you, and for seeing something in me that even I can't see. For stepping into my dark little world and trying to make it brighter. Thank you for being my friend."

It was Stars turn at speechlessness, unable to form a good response to such a sincere thanks. An hour ago, he was ready to give up on everything, and now, he seemed just as happy to be here as she was. Gone were the sunken, soulless eyes, now replaced with a glint of hope and the light of new experiences. He was still broken, much like herself, and he needed far more than someone to be there for him in his darkest hours, but Star would be there regardless, ready to keep him fighting.

"You too, Marco," she answered with a smile, the object of her new world leaving to let her get adjusted to her new home in peace. She had given him a second chance at fighting, a second breath of air in his lungs to keep raging against his cruel fortune, and he had returned such a gift in kind. Giving Star a second chance to live her life on her own terms, and to find her own way through a forest of dark expectations.

Neither one of them knew it, but it was the end of the first day of their new lives, one brimming with second chances._"_

* * *

_Second chances are not given to clean up a mess, or to rebuild a broken thing. They are earned by those who have fallen, and proven that they can stand back up. Some of us, will never have that second chance, at life, at love, at family, at trust….some of us will never find that 'do-over' we feel that we deserve. In such a case, all you can do is move forward, and hope you find a better way, than the one you took yesterday."_

_~Mr. Ronald Reagan_


	3. Three's A Crowd

_**Fleeting Moments**_

_Ch.3_

**_Three's a Crowd_**

* * *

"Seriously, can you stop doing that?"

"Doing what?"

Marco sat on the couch, reading one of his favorite books as he groaned to the room with growing impatience, built up over the last few days. Carefully, he placed a simple stained wooden bookmark between the pages and closed it, half-turning to look toward the kitchen with muted irritation. "That weird noise with your light-up hula hoop disappearing trick, you do it like, every half hour."

A glow, the sound of tearing fabric, and a gentle hum lit up his senses, pulling his attention to the space in front of him. There she was again, her head poked through some kind of circular, thrumming loop that lit up with stunning colors of every hue. Looking at it was fine, even mesmerizing, but it was the humming that got on his nerves.

"It's just a portal Marco," Star offered, her face inches from his and grinning from ear to ear, "It's how I get around. I can go basically anywhere with these bad boys." She flashed that same, silly pair of scissors that she claimed 'could cut open fissures between dimensions,' and beamed at him. Always all about the show, he noted.

"Look, I'm not saying the trick isn't cool, Star, but could you rehearse it somewhere else? I'm trying to read and...well. You're being distracting." His tone was loud and clear with an apology, but his face drove home how he really felt about her using magic. Same as always.

Three weeks ago, when she moved in with him, Star had used one of her largest spells to wow the boy from Earth; to really prove just how extraordinary she was, his _world_ was. But in return, she got dismissal and apathy for her efforts. Just like with her parents. Every effort led to the same result: 'Star go do that somewhere else,' 'Star I knows that's a prank,' 'Star you don't eat toothpaste'. So logically, the best course of action? Up the antics until the little idiot took her seriously.

Of course, that was how she got herself stuck on Earth, but she knew the old saying about rock meeting bottom well enough to ignore that little detail. "Like I've said a hundred times, Marco, it's not a trick," she answered with thinning patience.

"And like I keep telling _you_, I'm not buying into your crazy devotion to the act."

He noticed her sharp reaction this time and decided to play it a little cooler, maybe ease her into leaving him alone instead of demanding it like _last time_. God only knows how she could pout so hard. "Look, I appreciate what you did for me...that night. And I'm really glad to have you here to stay, help out, and be good company. But this? You need to cool it with-"

"Marco I can prove it's not a trick! Ask me for anything, and I'll get it for you," Star offered, closing the portal and drawing her scissors, ready to fetch and prove. One little trinket from the other side of the world, and he was as good as sold.

"A day of peace and quiet," he answered coldly, dropping the niceties and giving her a stern look. He flashed his book and held her stare, but didn't ask twice.

Star felt the familiar, uncomfortable silence after rejection begin to creep up her shoulders, but she pushed it back down. She wasn't on Mewni, so she wasn't going to take it from some grouch that slept on the couch every night. For whatever reason. "I'm serious Marco. Gimme a 'thing', anything, and as long as I know where to find it, I can give it to you in seconds."

Marco stood up and popped his back, setting his worn book down carefully. "Can ya grab the mail, then? I think the bills might be coming in today," he waved, and made his way into the kitchen in search of food.

Star stood there, agitated to no end by the simple, yet so mundane request of her nearly limitless form of travel. Here she was, offering- hell, he could literally ask for anything! "Marco! Come on! This isn't like last time! It's not gonna hurt you, or turn your arm into a tentacle, and it won't make your cute little goatee grow again, just tell me what you want me to get. Please?"

Corn, she hated having to plead with him, to give him something, but at last, it seemed her efforts would be rewarded when he sighed, and tapped a finger against his fuzzed chin. "One _thing_ and you leave me alone for the day, deal?" He asked, trying to keep the hostility out of that request. Maybe left alone was too much, when he really just wanted to be close to someone in silence. Close to her, his only real friend, without words or distraction.

"I promise. I'll even leave the house if you want me to," she offered in an obvious attempt to sweeten the deal. Not that it was the first time she chose to give him some space on his less than composed days. Days where company could only heal you so much.

"Fine, but...you don't have to leave or anything, just a little quiet this afternoon would be pretty cool. ….Bring meee…," Marco still tapped his chin, but his eyes were mischievously darting around the room, before landing on her. He gave her a coy smile and leaned against the counter, his lips spread into a grin amongst his budding goatee. "Bring _me_, to Mewni."

Though she was likely trying to hide it, Star's eyes widened noticeably enough at his request. Bring _him_, to her _home?_ Like, _Mewni_ Mewni? He couldn't be serious, as even he knew she wasn't allowed to go back home. She figured that was at least mostly clear, but maybe not. "Marco… _I _can't even go there, that's not fair," she sulked with deep sincerity.

His smile faltered, seeing her visibly upset with him for asking, but she did say 'anything', even if she meant to bring _here_. "Alright alright, uhmm…" he felt bad now, putting her off like that when she was clearly trying to have some fun with him. And if he was rewarded with some quiet time, maybe he could even try to get _her_ into a bit of reading with him. Oh, the silence would be bountiful, then. And in that moment, he heard a low, barely audible growl echo from the living room.

Star's eyes shot wide open, her cheeks growing flushed, but she kept her position intentionally unmoving, waiting for his request. And Marco, knowing that she was obviously just as hungry as he was, finished coming up with a plan to make them both happy.

"Alright, take this," he began, handing her a crisp, twenty dollar bill, and closing her fingers around it as he held up a timer, "And go get us a couple of burritos for lunch. Given the time, if you were there and back in the blink of an eye, it would only take you two minutes."

Star looked down at the money, her mouth already watering at the promise of a delicious sugarito, and looked back up at him. "Time starts now," he noted with a smug grin before starting the clock. Star stammered for a few precious seconds before remembering the point of all of this, and cut open a portal to Brittas. She practically dove through, not noticing as Marco checked behind the portal for her, and when it closed, he barely even noticed.

His phone was ticking down, second for second, but he was scanning the room in search of any sign of a trick, his nerves winding with each passing beat. There was no way she could pull it off. The burritos would be cold if she had some saved, but there was no way she could have known what he'd ask for. Unless the stomach growl was a ploy to get him to ask for Brittas.

_'Possible_', he noted.

As the time hit one minute, he decided to wait and see what her return would bring, be it a stash of impossibly fresh burritos, or an excuse for the lack thereof. Marco cracked open the fridge and checked for some sodas, just in case he was insanely wrong.

However, with that coveted silence overtaking the house in glorious envelopment, his thoughts began to drift. Drifting away from his new roommate, away from the color and life she brought into his world, and towards the lifeless, gray memories that brought him here. Only in silence could he revisit the past, and dig through the pain to find only the sweetest of moments that always slipped through his fingers.

A last heartfelt goodbye, a doomed night alone with a girl he thought he loved, games with those he once called friends. Those fleeting moments passed him by, and painted his heart every shade of gray, leaving only a husk void of color, and too broken to know how to find some. Most days, it hurt, but what scared him wasn't the pain of being alone, or the hurt of being left behind, no. It was the fear that he would forget, and make the same mistakes again.

Marco's thoughts were ripped from the past when a portal opened in the living room, that continuous thrum of energy burrowing into his ears. He checked his phone and saw the time hadn't even whittled down to thirty seconds yet. "Alrighty then, let's see what the cat...brought….back?"

Marco fumbled with his words, turning to find not his rambling, energetic new roommate, but instead, a volatile creature oozing malice in his direction. From what he could tell, it looked like a woman, with fiery red hair down to her...boots? They were pointed straight at the floor, like she was walking on her toes. Her arms had odd protrusions making a jagged edge on the back of her forearms, but the most alarming factors? The two, massive horns jutting from her head, and her ghostly white skin.

"Star?" He asked carefully, noting the being's taste in fashion was a poofy orange dress, but her eyes spelled rage beyond any he'd ever seen. It made him want to run, but as the shock wore off, he knew he was being played. "I know that's you, Star. Nice try with the costume, but I don't see any Burr-"

He was silenced when the creature blurred for a moment and reappeared inches from his face. She grabbed his collar and before he could even move, drove a hard fist into his gut, pushing every breath of air from his lungs. He gasped, shock gripping his nerves and adrenaline flooding his brain, but she wasn't done yet.

She gripped his wheezing neck and kicked his legs out before slamming him into the ground with an audible crack, either from him or the floor, he couldn't tell. Picking him up, she threw him towards the living room, shattering the coffee table and leaving him a battered, questionably bleeding heap. Groaning, Marco fought to keep his eyes open as those pointed footsteps drew closer, and reached for the only thing close enough to wield in defense: a worn-out book.

He held it up and struggled to his feet just as the being stepped around the couch, circling around towards him as he slowly evaded her march. *_cough_* *_cough_*, "Star…" he wheezed, "what the hell is wrong with you? Are you out of your mind?!"

The being stopped her advance and stared at him, boredom mixing with her impatience as Marco continued to put distance between them. "Playing stupid won't get you out of it, human. You're coming with me, and we're gonna have a niiiice chat about stealing, FROM HEKAPOO!" She roared, blurring again and appearing behind him. She was too impossibly fast to even see, drawing his guess to more of Star's tricks, but when he whirled around to strike with the book, he was met with no resistance, his body falling through suddenly cool air.

Falling, yeah, falling was what he was doing. Where to, was anyone's guess, but it was like the floor under his feet was suddenly ripped away leaving only open outdoor air, and hot sunlight in his eyes. Instinct made him flail to right his body, but before he could turn, the ground rose up to meet him with a bone-rattling thud, stealing his breath yet again. His shoulder lit up with fire, burning towards his right midsection, but his adrenaline kept him moving.

He struggled to his knees, keeping his likely broken arm to his side, using his other to steady himself.

"Marco?"

A soft, familiar voice silenced the throbbing pain for a moment, giving him enough rationality to suck in some air before searching for the source. And when he saw her, all of the screaming pain was silenced.

Star sat a few feet away, a deep cut across her arm singing with scarlet liquid, and her face growing a noticeable bruise under her left cheek stamp. In short, she looked just as bad as him, but where he felt terror, her face spelled confusion blooming from a stem of fading rage. Like his arrival had snapped her out of whatever trauma burned in her chest. "What are you doing here?" She asked, having received no answer.

Marco drew in a shaky breath and bit back a multitude of curses, his worry for her quickly fading as reality sunk in. "What am _I_ doing here? You dragged me here! And beat the shit out of me! What the hell do you thi-?!" He demanded, but was silenced by the throbbing pain in his side. It stole his breath, making him hiss every gasp away and clutch his ribs.

After a short moment of wet coughs and burning breaths, he spat, "_you_ beat the shit out of me and dumped me out here with your stupid portal trick...fuck do you think?" Clearly, he would need to reassess her living situation, or at best, set a whole new list of boundaries. But as he made to give her the scolding of a lifetime, he found her eyes wide with shock, and the anger draining from her face. "I...Marco this is _real_...and I didn't do this, you have to believe me. I told her to leave you alone, that you had nothing to do with-"

"Star! Cut the shit already!" He snapped, reaching his breaking point. For three weeks he found her antics mildly tolerable, but this? This was just insanity. "You could have _killed _me!"

Where he expected her to finally see reason, he was met with burning resistance, her eyes doubling down to meet his with unyielding resolve. A stone-willed determination he had only seen that night on the bridge, to keep him safe. "If you want to survive, you're going to keep your mouth shut, listen to me, and do what I tell you," she ordered without a hint of play in her voice, "I can handle you choosing to not believe magic is real, but for the next ten minutes, I need you to at least _pretend_ it is, and follow my lead. Do I make myself clear?"

Marco blinked, trying to figure out how hard he had hit his head. Gone was the girl who fought a water fountain, or laughed for three hours at a joke about corn, and in her place was a young woman demanding obedience without question. A woman with instinct and authority radiating into his bones. Wordlessly, at her request, he nodded, and she turned towards a dying oak tree resting against a cliff he hadn't noticed yet.

From nowhere, a seam split the air with a fountain of white-hot sparks, spreading wider and wider until a solid ring hummed under the tree. It looked like a swirling pool of lava, and as badly as Marco wanted to get angry at it, he kept his mouth shut.

From the portal, that same woman stepped out, brandishing those same scissors Star was using earlier. It really drove home that they must have been in cahoots with one another, but he stayed silent as the woman approached. She looked down at them with scorn and distaste in her eyes, and after a short moment, let out a deep sigh. "I expected better from 'the princess of disaster', but I guess I was wrong," she muttered, her stare since falling on Star. "I can handle you being a screw-up, and I can handle you ruining things on Mewni. I was happy to hear that you'd be sent to Earth, because maybe then you could finally try to be someone worth following, but stealing, Star Butterfly? Really? And from _me?"_

Marco looked at his friend (as questionable as that title was by now) and found her shockingly crestfallen. Her eyes were glued to the grass, and all of that bravado had since melted away, leaving her the same as that first night on Earth: nervous, timid, and reserved. "Moon was right about you: you're hopeless. Just a screw-up princess destined to doom the kingdom. I thought- hoped, that you'd learn something from your relocation, but I see that being grounded to Earth wasn't enough. You _stole _from me, and abused my scissors to what? Grab _food?_ Are you serious?"

"I was-" Star began, but the words died in her throat. "I didn't know- I never-"

"What? Never thought you'd get caught?" The woman demanded, folding her arms, "you thought just because you were way out here, I wouldn't notice? I _forged_ these babies from pieces of my own spirit, I know when someones abusing them to RUN ERRANDS!"

Star seemed to crumple into herself some, her grimace bordering on desperation. All of that bravado, the resolve, all of it melted under the scorching glare of the woman with her scissors.

"Sounds to me like you need to keep better track of your shit," Marco coughed, turning to glare at her. "If this little ball of crazy can steal from you, and I doubt she did, then it's really _your _fault, isn't it?"

The forge master was stunned, or rather, she was so cross with anger it was forced to register as surprise. Her hands were balled into fists, and she prepared to tear this little meatbag a new one, but it kept talking. "Star is annoying, loud, maybe a bit delusional, and definitely a little childish, but she's not a thief."

"Then how is it, I wonder, that she came to possess _my_ scissors? And why did she not bring them to me herself?" The woman prodded, glaring even harder, "She stole these scissors, and I'm not letting her scoot by without punishment. _Proper_, punishment."

Star paled at the idea, but of what, Marco wasn't sure. He managed to stand on his own two feet and glare right back at the stranger, raising his fists into a boxing stance. "Go fuck yourself. You want her, you're gonna have to go through m-"

Stars. Three of her, foggy and blurred, but there for him to see. She was angelic in this light, the way her cute little bangs hung at this angle, leaning over him with...worry? Her face was stunning, but she looked kinda scared, and mad. Maybe she was mad at him for getting hit. _'Wait, what?' _Marco thought, the pounding waves in his head settling for just a moment as he registered the cool blood trickling from his nose.

"Oh man, you humans are a riot, you know that?" the woman asked with a grin, wiping a bit of blood from her knuckles, "feisty little things, yet so fragile. So temporary. I can appreciate the little white knight act, kid, but you should learn to keep your mouth shut in the presence of an Immortal. I have business with Star first, and then _you_ later."

"Hekapoo, please," Star began, oh, with that same resolve and confidence bolstering her shoulders higher. "Leave Marco alone, and you can take me to my mother. I'll face the consequences, and you can have your scissors back. Nobody has to get hurt."

Marco begged to differ on that point, but lying on one's back in the grass with a bloody nose tended to shift one's priorities. And if he was still hearing things correctly, did Star just say she was willing...to leave? He tried sitting up, but the pounding in his head and the firm, yet gentle hand holding him down kept him there. Star watched Hekapoo, who seemed to deeply consider the offer, tapping her pointed fingers against her scissors.

"Nah, I don't think you'll learn your lesson," she finally admitted, "and your little boy toy here seems to be against that course of action."

Star blushed hard as the blood rose to her cheeks, and covered Marco's mouth before he could say something stupid. Hekapoo grinned and twirled the scissors in her hand as she approached the two cautious teens, a wildfire alight in her eyes. "Tell you both what: we're gonna play, a little _game_, and if you win? You both get your very own pairs of scissors, and you get to go home scot-free."

Star met Hekapoo's eyes and continued to hold Marco down, asking simply, "And if we lose?"

Hekapoo shrugged and pocketed her scissors, folding her arms with a suppressed grin. "Probably don't wanna know the answer to that one, Princess. Are you interested?"

Star held back a shudder at the possibilities a loss could dictate, but she held her head high and matched Hekapoos grin with a nod, her eyes set into a scowl. Whatever Hekapoo was planning, going back home to explain herself was far, far worse.

"What about you, Meatbag, you wanna play? 'Cuz if you don't, I can think of a few good ways to hide your corpse." Hekapoo sounded whimsical and confident, but that last statement? Marco could work out that it was more than a threat. With Star's hand still covering his mouth, he nodded. What did he have to lose really?

"Wonderful. The name of the game is _tag,"_ Hekapoo explained, suddenly turning all smiles from a woman seeking punishment. Star made to speak, but Hekapoo held up a hand, a gentler warning than Marco's to listen and not speak, or else. "The rules are pretty simple. Blow out _this_ flame," she began, a small tuft of orange fire sparking into existence between her horns, "before you die."

Star and Marco both exchanged a quick, confused glance, the former of the two asking, "That's it?"

"That's it."

Another shared glance. Marco pried Star's hand from his mouth and asked, "what do you mean 'before we die'?"

Hekapoo, this odd, demonic-looking thing that spoke and acted like a person, laughed at the question as if it was common knowledge. "Age, probably. But there's a loooot out here that can kill you. So you _probably_ better hurry."

Marco looked from her, to Star, then back to Hekapoo. She couldn't have been serious, right? One minute she's wrecking his house, beating him to a pulp, and the next, she wants to play tag to the death? Just how crazy was this chick? He never got to ask, as in the blink of an eye, Star was already charging, her labored footsteps picking up speed as she raced for her target.

But Hekapoo, he witnessed, she was so much faster. Faster than he could register as possible, she evaded Star, blurring out of focus and zipping about the field, always several steps out of reach. When she got too close, Marco moved to join into the fray, only to find that Hekapoo wasn't truly interested in having him play yet. One slap on the back of his head led to scorching heat on his scalp, and she was out of focus again.

But Star wasn't having it. As Hekapoo blurred and zipped in jagged lines, cutting ruts of burned grass into the field, the young princess drew her wand, aiming it right for the forge master's flame. "Narwhal bla-!" she began, but like a screaming tempest, Hekapoo was there, her dress and hair flowing to catch up in a burr of red and orange.

As fast as a change in the winds, Star was on her hands and knees, panting to keep her focus, as Hekapoo stopped and twirled the wand in her fingers. "Don't worry, Pipsqueak, I know I can't use this, but I wouldn't want you cheating, ya know?"

"Give me back... my wand," Star seethed, the fire in her eyes alight with outrage. But Hekapoo simply pocketed the artifact, crossing her arms at the future Queen. "You want it? Then earn it, Princess. Show me you're worth more than this gift given purely by chance. That you're more than just a birthright with a name and expectations!"

Marco struggled to stand, desperate to keep his footing and actually contribute, but Hekapoo was suddenly there, standing right in front of him with a disappointed look.

"You're pathetic," she mused with a grin before tapping his broken nose, the simple gesture sending him back to the ground.

"Never heard _that_ before," he grunted, planting one foot on the ground, "but ya know, lately? I don't care as much." He lunged for her, hoping to even get half a breath on the flickering flame, but an abrupt knee driven up and into his chest put stars in his vision, and not the 'cute' kind. He crumpled like a burnt spider and lay motionless as his lungs fought to regain control of his halted breathing.

Another few seconds and Star was there, leaning over him, _again, _looking down at him with tired, ragged eyes. She let out a breath of relief when she heard him cough, and watched Hekapoo as he spoke. "I think...I'm ready….to go home," he panted.

Star couldn't help but feel the same, especially given that it was his home and not hers they'd return to. But a curt chuckle from a few yards away let them know that that was but a fleeting dream by now. Hekapoo twirled her scissors in that same arrogant fashion and grinned at the two teens. "I feel like I mentioned this, but the only way _home_ is with these. And the only way to get _these_, is to win. So how about we make things interesting."

"Interesting how? Because I gotta say, kicking the shit out of us wasn't very interesting," Marco quipped between ragged breaths, but Hekapoo ignored him enough to roll her eyes.

"A thief is only ever given due punishment, and you stand alongside one, Human. Count yourself lucky I'm letting you breathe."

Marco wheezed an unsteady laugh and eyed the fiery being. "Debatable on that one, lady, but go on…"

Star shot Marco a sideways glare and elbowed him in the good arm, shaking her head to not make this any worse, if that was even possible. She wondered how much he believed now, or if he would still pretend this was all somehow her doing. Maybe she'd ask him if they got out of this alive.

"You know the old saying, three's a crowd, right?" Hekapoo asked, pressing her palms together and giving them a pompous smirk, "well, a few hundred is a party!" She pried her hands apart, and before Marco's very eyes, she began to multiply, faster and faster as she doubled exponentially, filling the field with copies of herself.

Marcos blood ran cold and Star's cheeks paled at the sight before them, Marco whispering only, "H-hundreds…."

"H-Hekapoos…" Star finished, both of their eyes wide in astonishment, or perhaps fear. The small army of white, red, and orange beings parted to let what they could only hope to assume was the original through. She stood before the crowd and smiled right through the two teens, her confidence an annoying beacon shining brighter than the hundreds of flames.

"Princess Star Butterfly! *cough*-andmeatbag," Hekapoo began, the crowd of clones hushing down to a dull roar, "_This, _is my challenge to the both of you! Do you want to leave, with scissors you've earned, instead of stolen?"

Marco could swear she was looking right at him. "To be the master of your own fate, and to redefine who you truly are?"

Star felt Hekapoos gaze fall onto her next. "To break free from your role in life, and to rewrite your own destiny? Or would you prefer to die as you are now?"

Star and Marco both shared an unsteady, and very ragged glance, the pair of blue and brown eyes meeting with a seldom given feeling of understanding. Hekapoo watched as the two teens slowly nodded to one another before offering, "Then catch me if you can, pussbuckets, I'll be waiting for you."

With a snap of her fingers, a broad wall of portals opened behind Hekapoo's imitation legion, and like an army of ants, they all charged through them. Disappearing by the second, one by one, flooding down to nothing, until only two souls remained, alone in the field.

Marco turned to Star, perhaps in the hope that somehow, this was an elaborate trick of the hand, and she had him fooled from the start, but instead, he found her glaring at him, her left cheek swelling enough to warp her heart. "Star, are you-" he began, however, she quickly cut him off.

"DO YOU BELIEVE ME NOW?!" she yelled, pushing to her feet and trudging toward the portals in the distance, their masters having long since gone. She huffed, glaring at those rings as though it was their fault for her predicament, but where her anger really lay was anyone's guess. Maybe being mad was in and of itself, a relief after weeks of sitting idly. Or maybe Hekapoo had a point.

Stunned at her words, Marco made to stand in an effort to console her, maybe apologize, _something_, but as he lifted himself from the grass, it only rose to meet him. And after a thump echoed in his ears, a familiar blanket of darkness overtaking him, his name echoing in Star's voice, somewhere far, far away.

**O - O - O - O - O - O - O**

_"But...why are you leaving again? You promised we'd go somewhere together this time.."_

_"I know. Maybe next time you can come with us."_

_"Ha, you said that last time, Mom…"_

_"Well, you were so close… you could have joined us anytime you wanted."_

_"I...I wanted too...you were gone, and I was so close. But she stopped me… she held me back when I was so close to you…"_

_"Oh, Marco… my little man, growing up already… you'll be with us soon...we'll be waiting for you, you know."_

_"I know, Mom. I'll see you guys soon… I know you'll be there...when I leave…"_

**O - O - O - O - O - O - O**

When Marco felt the last wisps of sleep unfolding from his mind, and those fleeting words that held his heart in a never-ending vice loosen their grip, he dared to open his eyes.

Big mistake.

Immediately, his body flooded him with reports of mending wounds, broken skin, and throbbing pain. Everywhere. He struggled to breathe, fighting to keep his lungs full of air, but with each passing second, he felt that vice returning, drawing him back into the void. His last fading sight was a flash of blonde, a worried look, and the deepest of sapphire.

Some time passed, however long he wasn't sure, with more of the same. Fading images of those who were gone, those who had left him, and more darkness. Again the void graced him with a glimmer of control, finally letting the veil of darkness fall as he struggled to open his eyes.

"-ust saying, you should try to stay still," that soothing voice offered to the tune of lingering impatience, "you're not a Mewman like me, so you took the most damage. ...plus she _really _had it out for you."

Marco moved his mouth to answer, but his voice was gone in lieu of a raspy whisper. He wanted to say _'like hell I'm gonna stay still! Are you okay? Where are we?'_, but all that came out was '_hiiheeemooohaaaaheeehaaa.'_

He heard Star sigh, and when he managed to look her way, he realized that he was lying on his back beside a cozy little fire, somewhere in the woods, his roomie a few feet away. She rested her chin in her hand and slouched, giving him a tired look. "I'm fine, thanks for asking, though I wish I could say the same about you. As for _where, _I have no idea. I dragged you through at least a dozen portals looking for her, but… Well, here we are."

Marco took the moment to digest that information, letting the pain crest and subside in waves, before he again tried to speak.

"_Hhaaaveeeeessttaaaaaamaaaaheeeee?"_

"Nah, not even a peep. ...how are you holding up? You've been asleep for two days." At his silence, Star looked over at him and found him staring, his eyes wide with shock. "Yeah, you really took a beating. Sorry, I couldn't do more, but my mom never really taught me a lot of first aid, I had to cut off your arm…"

Marco jerked to draw his arms up and hissed in pain, but found relief in that they were both still attached, if a little busted. He shot Star a pained glare and found her grinning at him with pride. "Annnnd, I managed to grab your book for you, something about memory, and a name? I dunno, didn't grab me." Go figure.

She watched as his eyes widened, barely enough to notice, so she moved the worn little book to his side, watching as he struggled to pick it up. As expected, the first thing he did was check for that little wooden bookmark, and melt with relief when he found it.

"Sooo, Diaz. I take it, you have something you wanna say to me right about now," she continued, raising an eyebrow in his direction. What she found was a tightened glare, but it wasn't for her. Instead, Marco was glaring at the canopy above, and ohhh corn she relished in that beaten look. Not physically beaten, but...you know.

"Mhrmmrhrmrhemrmrhrm," Marco grumbled with noticeably less difficulty than before. But Star wasn't letting him off easy.

"Sorry, could you repeat that? Must still have some gum root in my ears from the hollering monkeys," she purred, waiting for that beautiful set of words.

"You. Were right," Marco spat quickly, but at a more sincere pace, he added, "and I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I...I don't even know how to process everything I saw, but you were right. About everything."

"Annnnnd," Star prompted, scooching closer to really savor that apology.

"And I, Marco Diaz, according to our deal, declare that I am dumb. And Star is amazing."

"Ahhhh, there he issss," she hummed, resuming her place beside the fire. "Knew you'd finally see things my way."

Marco didn't respond, instead opting to keep his gaze squared on the treetops with his jaw set. Star took notice of his rigid stance, but she wasn't sure what it meant, or what he might be thinking in that big head of his. "Sorry, I just kinda waited a few weeks for you to finally admit that-"

"Star."

"...yeah?"

As Marco let a hiss of held breath out in the form of a resigned sigh, he surprised her by slowly sitting upright and turning to face her. "Magic… is real. And, that changes…._everything_ for me. I'm in so far over my head, and nothing makes sense. This is… crazy," he finished, the slight effort of sitting up and speaking having drained him of energy. He laid back down, but Star had seen though the fires light a fresh stream of tears that had glistened his cheeks.

She didn't know what to make of such a response, but she figured the best she could offer was a word of consolation, anything to help him cope with things a bit better. After all, she was new to the experience, having lived her whole life knowing magic was a reality.

"You did good, standing up to Hekapoo like that. Not a lot of people can call themselves so brave. And even less would stand up to her as my friend."

She heard Marco turn his head, but she had her eyes glued to the firewood, pretending to focus on its embers. A few seconds passed, and he offered softly, "Of course, Star. You stuck by me when I needed you...so I want to do the same, no matter how…different this all is. You saved my life, so the least I can do is call you my friend."

"I was just- ya know. I wanted to make sure you were okay and not being stupid"

"And I'm so glad you did," he continued, though she could tell from his labored breathing, he wasn't gonna last much longer. "I'm with you, Star. Wherever we are, whatever we have to do, I'm with you."

As the crickets chirped in the quiet forest around them, Star made to offer some sort of thanks, hopefully one that wouldn't be too cheesy, or too weird, but Marcos breathing had slowed enough to alert her that he had passed out again. Hopefully not for another two days of course.

Sitting at the little lonely campfire, in a place she was entirely unfamiliar with, with a boy she had only known for a few weeks, both battered and broken, Star found herself smiling. Not at her past, and not at her uncertain future, but at that one fleeting moment she could safely say that she wasn't alone. Not that she ever was when Marco was around.

"I got you, Marco Diaz. Just… hang in there for me. We'll be out of here in no time."

* * *

_"Despite what you choose to believe, being alone is never the worst fate a man can find himself with. It's when even _**you** _abandon yourself that you should be afraid. For we are never truly alone. In your mind you have your greatest enemy, your unquestionable backup, your last resort, your greatest teammate. _**You**_. But when you give up on _**you**_, only then are you truly alone, and at your most vulnerable."_

_~Mr. Ronald Reagan_


	4. Fool me once

**_Fleeting Moments_**

_Ch. 4_

**_Fool Me Once_**

* * *

Marco felt an unchecked, alarming warmth.

Or, was it a freezing, hollow cold?

Whichever it was, he was feeling something, and it sat squarely on the brim of sensitive discomfort. He shook away the last bits of sleep and memories from his head, finding the daylight providing enough warmth to have roused him from the bed. Of course, in stark contrast was the chill of the morning air that swept through his very bones, reminding him he was shirtless under the makeshift blanket.

Immediately following the temperature changes was a sudden, scalding pain in his side and head, but he managed to push them down long enough to get his bearings and account for his most recent memories. One in particular sticking out like a sore, orange, angry thumb.

_'Oh yeah...the fight,' _he thought to himself as he struggled to sit upright in his makeshift bed of moss, _'thatsssss gonna be sore for a couple of days.'_

As some odd, distant birds sang, he checked his side and arms for any protrusions or bleeding, noting that he had scattered bandages from his emergency safety kit taped about. Which brought him to the next topic of interest: the girl who had probably applied them.

He looked around, his vision groggy and washed with daylight, finding a smoldering campfire that should have been put out before bed, and another moss-bed with a noticeably more petite depression in it. "Star?" He called out, but the forest he resided in yielded no response. Just the quiet, cold breeze rattling the leaves, and the sound of flowing water in the distance.

"Guess she must have wandered off or something."

With some difficulty, he pushed his hands skyward to stretch his stiffened muscles. Boxing had helped him bulk up more than he had expected, but with injuries to boot, and having slept for two or three days, they were of little use at the moment.

Carefully, he began to position himself to sit upright, feeling the strain worsen, and his bones groan under the weight. But for now, they held true, and he slowly rose to his feet, happy to find his clothes were still where they belonged, minus his hoodie.

Looking around the small forest clearing where the makeshift camp lay, Marco found nothing of particular or immediate interest, smelled the air only once, and decided that maybe a bath was in order. Privacy or not, he didn't dare greet Star in his current state, especially since she had taken pretty good care of him.

Making his way towards what he could only hope was a river, he did his best to ignore the obvious sequence of events that had led him here, but it was hard to find something else to carry his attention. One stupid night on the bridge, a harmless offer to let Star live- …_'I really, _really_, hope this is just some fucked up version of purgatory.'_ Kicking himself for drawing his thoughts back to that night, he arrived at the source to the sound of rushing water, and it took his breath away.

A small waterfall poured a teal-colored stream into a basin flourishing with wild plants Marco had never even imagined. There were indigo vines resting just above the falls with flowers that seemed to 'drink' from the water. There were mushrooms as big as refrigerators bearing every color sitting just at the edge of the basin, and trees with leaves of orange bulbs hung high, casting scattered shafts of blazing sunlight. The most breathtaking feature, however, was a series of webbing stalks that wound between two trees, their branches crossing and knotting into an intricate pattern. And where there was open space, was a thin, multicolored membrane that created a natural, stunning design.

With no one in sight, aside from the scarce fish that danced about under the surface, Marco peeled off his tainted shirt and set to work on the rest of his ruined clothes.

_'I mean, let's say this whole situation _**is** _real, like magic' _he thought to himself, '_That lady can't really expect us to find hundreds of her, and kill them, right? She seemed to know Star pretty well, so maybe it's just some weird lesson I got caught in.'_

It was a hopeful thought, but Hekapoo had sought him out even after she had Star. And given his fractured bones, carefully tended to, of course, it didn't seem like this was something that would be over in a couple more days.

_'But isn't this what you wanted?'_

That cynical, dark voice in his head that always managed to escape when he was at his lowest, crept out from the shadows of his subconscious. And of course, it was completely right. He _had_ wanted this. To be alone, to get away from his old life, to escape the broken pieces of his old home; this was a wish granted if he was being honest. But something about it was still wrong, playing with his emotions and jutting into the silence he so desperately craved. And that particular something… well, she would probably be back soon.

Marco shook the intrusive thought from his head and stepped into the river, nothing but his boxers separating him from the wild. _'I could probably ditch her,' _he thought, immediately regretting it. She was alone, just like him, and if he was being honest, he'd be dead if not for her. It was _also_ worth mentioning that he wouldn't have been beaten and taken here if not for her, but seeing that he still wouldn't be alive today if she hadn't shown up that night...

"Let's just focus on the bath for now, and divvying up blame later." With a shake of his head, Marco dove right into scrubbing dried blood and spots of dirt from his face and arms, then went lower to carefully wipe clean his abs and chest. There was a certain degree of pride one holds for their body, especially after years of work, but with many parts of it broken and healing, now he just felt disgusted, and a slight degree of shame.

Scrubbing his hair, Marco pushed down his wounded pride and instead focused on the rainbow-colored eels that skated just under the surface of the water. They curled around one another, the sunlight painting rays across their backs. It was nice to watch as he stroked his fuzzy chin, making him wonder what else the world had to offer.

_'Jeez, I won't be able to shave out here, will I?' _He wondered, shrugging off the sights of the riverbank, and moving lower down his body. _'Eighteen and already growing a damn beard, lucky me."_

"I like the beard-"

**"JESUS! WHAT THE FU-"** Marco yelled, practically diving into the water to keep his exposed body hidden. Star, having scared him nearly to death, cocked an eyebrow at his reaction and continued as if nothing had happened. "Reminds me of my cousin Rey's beard, except not as...I dunno, filled?"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Marco yelled, glaring daggers at her from just above the waterline, but still, Star's naivety persisted. The intruder gave him a confused look that melted into an exhausted resignation.

"Same as you, Marco, we're kinda stuck out here? You got some memories knocked out of that head of yours when you fought Hekapoo or something?" She rested her head in her hands, sitting cross-legged and watching the eels that had captured his attention just a moment ago. "Would explain the first couple of days you spent sleeping."

Marco narrowed his eyes at her, but since she didn't seem to grasp that he was basically naked, and she seemed more interested in the eels than him, he let his guard down. "I _meant_, why are you _here_," he gestured at the water around him, even adding a splash to get the point across, "I'm- ya know- like- _swimming_." He added a little motion of scrubbing his arm, but Star didn't seem to get the point.

"Two people can swim in the river, Marco, you don't have to hog it," she grumbled as she stood, moving closer to the riverbank, "maybe I wanna swim too?"

"NO! I mean-," Marco dipped lower in the water at Stars immediate withdrawal, "I'm taking a _bath_, Star. Can you maybe go back to camp?"

Star inclined her head toward him, the gears turning in that brain of hers. Then, through a tidal wave of red, she blushed so hard her hearts were almost purple. "OH MY GOD! I'M SO SORRY!" she yelled, scrambling to turn around and cover her eyes, "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE NAKED?! I WAS LIKE EIGHT FEET AWAY FROM YOU!"

"I'M NOT NAKED! EVEN IF IT'S STILL WEIRD! AND WHY ARE WE YELLING!"

"**BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING A **_**BATH**_ **RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!"**

"**I'M **_**NOT, NAKED**__!_" Marco returned, glaring at her, but with her back turned, the expression was useless. So without much prodding, he shook his head and wiped the water out of his hair, Hoping she'd leave sooner rather than later.

A minute of silence passed before Marco glanced over at Star again, finding her just barely peeking at him and quickly turning to look away. But before he could dive right back into that shouting match, she asked simply, "soooo, you think someone will come looking for us?"

In silence, Marco gradually let his open-mouthed bitterness bubble down, slumping his shoulders at her proposed question. "Maybe for _you_, yeah. But not for me."

"What do you mean?" She asked quicker still, a newfound interest igniting within, apparently.

"Ugh. I mean, no ones coming to find me, as in, no one _cares_ to find me. I go missing, no one's gonna notice, Star."

She let that grim prospect roll around in her head before she found a response she liked.

"I'd notice."

_'Nailed it,'_ she thought.

"You don't count because you're here too. But thanks anyway," Marco waved it off, checking to make sure she was still looking away before moving out of the water to collect his clothes, not caring if they got a bit wet. "We should talk about what our plan of attack is, and what we should do next, though," he added, clearing his throat that she could look now.

"I kinda figured we would just look for Hekapoo, and then go home," she was sharp to offer, following him back to camp, "did you have something else in mind? Maybe more _swimming?"_

He reddened, but Marco brushed it off, answering, "I was thinking maybe more like seeing if we're actually alone out here? Maybe find out where we are, if there's civilization, and what this place is like?"

"Mmmm, sounds kinda long-term, but I guess that's not a bad idea." She sounded somewhat disappointed in his suggestion, but immediately, a smile spread across her face as she reached into Marco's now-empty first aid bag. "Look! I forgot I found one of _these_!"

What happened next was the second most horrifying thing to happen to him that day. Star pulled some terrifying, dead, bloody, antlered thing_,_ from the bag, and was waving it in his face as he struggled between his wounds and his need to escape.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?!" he yelled, finding solid ground and lurching back two steps towards safety. Star pulled back her kill and gave him a concerned look, as if trying to understand his reaction, but when Marco recognized she was just holding a dead animal, he calmed down. "A little warning next time you wanna wave a dead rat in my face would be nice," he breathed, rubbing his sore ribs to ease the stabbing pain emanating there, "where did you '_find'_ it, anyway?"

"Welllllll, maybe hunted for three hours is a liiiitttle more accurate, but you get the idea." She pointed at a small pile of what looked like peach pits just at the edge of their small camp, the two plopping down beside the fire-hole."I figured some real food in your belly would be better than those little sour berries I found yesterday. And then this little guy just showed up, so I thought hey? Why not!"

"So you just decided to-, Wait... have you been feeding me wild berries you knew nothing about while I was unconscious?" Marco cut in just as Star laid out the maimed, six-legged Jackelope in front of her, her eyes clearly wider with trepidation. "If I say yes, will you be mad?"

"Wha- YES?!"

"Then no, no I have not. I uhm, knew they were safe?"

"Then what are they called?"

"...sssssour-" Marco narrowed his eyes at her almost immediately, so she backtracked a little offering another lie, this one far more clever. "I mean, uhh, _ssswwweet? _Berries?"

This time, Marco nodded as if accepting either her stupidity, or the fake name of those potentially dangerous fruits, pleading in a much softer tone, "try to be more careful next time, okay? We don't know what's out there, so we should treat everything like it could kill us."

Star wanted to jetpack into a joke about how that sounded as compulsively overactive as nitroglycerin, but she didn't. Instead, she leaned back and nodded towards the canopy, willing to relent if it meant she wouldn't be scolded for her mistake.

"Did you used to hunt a lot? Back home?"

Star stiffened at the question, that much he could see, but her tone was even softer than his, more resigned as she answered, "Yeah, actually. My dad used to take me all the time when I was little. But, around my teenage years- well, earlier teenage years i guess -we just stopped going together. And I stopped asking why."

Marco looked up from her prize to see her staring at it like a lost friend. A faded reminder that her better days had since passed. So, sensing she was likely still a bit sore of the subject, he sought to help her feel better. As she had done for him countless times in those few weeks.

"You think you could show me how to dress the kill?" He asked with a thin smile. Star could see right through it, that he was probably just trying to steer away from an awkward conversation, so she shrugged and stared down at the rabbit, her face turned deep in concentration. "I think he has a few too many legs for jeans, Marco. But, maybe a dress or something?"

He scoffed at her but failed to hide his amused grin, shuffling to explain, "I meant can you show me-"

"I know, Diaz, just messin with ya a little," Star smiled, pulling out a knife from the first aid bag and moving both herself and her kill closer to him. "So you start with this little cut behind the head, and you circle around to the front, okay?"

"O-okay? And...do you just, peel the skin off?"

Star furrowed her brow and thought for a moment. "Nah, it's more like, hook your fingers in the back skin hole and just pull down real hard. ….heh heh, _skin hole_."

"Not the time Star, less profanity, more teaching, please," Marco asked, stern but calm, "if you have any more of those berries, I can probably cook us up something?"

"Little cookoff action, then huh? I'll make the meat, you make the chutney?" Star asked with a beaming smile, to which Marco could only snort in assent.

"Oh ho ho ho, _bring it,_ sister."

**O - O - O - O - O - O - O**

It was a solid two hours later by the time the two had finished a whirlwind of scattered concocting, using anything and everything that might have helped their 'dish' taste slightly better. Star had done well with the roasted jackelegs, as they had decided to call it, the meat roasted to near perfection. Marco, in a similar fashion, had used various herbs from the clearing and some other fruits from the forest to craft an odd, purple-colored mush that he assured Star would taste fine.

When all was said and done, the two sat down on their beds of moss, and dug in.

"_Hur- gack! Ahhh, Mmmmm," _Star managed with a fractured smile, though she found Marcos's reaction matching hers.

"This tastes like dirt and tree bark over spoiled bologna," he managed to mutter after spitting out the remnants of his first bite. Star nodded in assent and spat out her bite just as quick, even rubbing her tongue free of all the foul taste. "Bleeeeeehhhh…. How?" She asked, "how could it taste so _bad?_ It looked totally normal!"

Marco shivered and groaned before he rather unceremoniously dumped the remains into the fire, a plume of purple flames flaring. "Either we suck at cooking, or our skill with cooking won't matter here, because things taste different," he murmured as Star dumped her food as well. "Maybe uh...maybe we should get busy finding other people? They might have food we can actually eat."

"Not a bad idea," Star nodded, "how should we start looking? Have you done this before?"

Marco gave her a quizzical look, still at that phase in his friendship with her that he wasn't sure if she was joking or not. When he assessed that she was fully serious, he shook his head. "Nah, I've never been lost on an alien planet before. My best guess? We just start walking and hope we find something before we starve. Unless we wanna try choking down more of...this."

Star looked from him to the charring pile of flaming food and moved to collect their scarce belongings. "You get the fire, I'll pack up the safety kit."

And in a few minutes, the two were left with naught but the clothes on their backs and the two bags they had managed to sneak through the portal. Between Marco's safety kit and Star's purse, they had probably one meal's worth of food, and a year's worth of safety precautions. Thank corn for Star's urge to keep an emergency burrito ready.

It wasn't long after they started walking, however, that trouble soon began. And it came in the form of boredom.

"Soooo, Marco, Marcus, Marcolemew," Star listed off, poking his arm, "how do you suppose we find 'civilization'? Do we just keep walking until we die?"

Marco, for all his weeks spent with Star, spent being an empty shell of a human being resigned of outward emotion, was unusually chipper in his response. "Yup. Could take us days, so I guess we should ration out the burrito to a few bites a day."

"Are you serious?" Star stared at him in abject horror, to which he actually laughed!

"No! Oh my god did you think I was? Star, we literally crossed a stone road like two minutes after we left camp! There's bound to be someone close by."

"And are you okay with that?" Star asked, making Marco slow as he turned to look at her quizzically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked back shortly.

Star only gave him a shrug as the two tracked through the woods, avoiding his lingering gaze. "I take you for the kinda guy that doesn't want help, doesn't like people. Are you okay with, ya know, being around all that? Are you okay with stepping out of your comfort zone?"

It sounded like she was actually asking if he was afraid of people. Afraid of stepping back into the cold pool of opening up to help, as if accepting hers wasn't enough. "I'm okay with not starving to death if it means being nice to people and pretending to care for a day or two," he barked, picking up the pace.

"Marco. I know what it meant to open up to me, to let someone in for the first time in a while," Star muttered from behind, keeping up, "if we _do_ find someone else out here, and if you _do_ start to feel...uncomfortable, just tell me. And we can leave, okay?"

She figured Marco would slow, or at least acknowledge what she was offering, but he only muttered, "yeah," over his shoulder, his pace remaining the same. _'As if I would just walk away from food and a place to sleep right now.'_

Star frowned, offended by the shortness of his response. Rather than accept his attitude like before, though, she jogged to his side and grabbed his shoulders, making him turn to face her directly. With his eyes locked to hers, she repeated, "okay?"

He wore an expression of both impatience and remorse, but it took mere seconds for her blind sincerity to break him on both fronts, earning her a short, "okay, Star. ...thanks."

He turned. And whether or not she really believed him was for her to decide. He didn't really care past that. If lying to some medieval people, or advanced farmers decades past earths, got him a free meal? It was worth it enough to put on a brave face and hope he didn't have to talk much.

But that same small pair of hands grabbed his shoulder and pulled him down, right into a soft hug, one short and brisk enough to have been mistaken for a brush of the arm, but conveying everything it needed to, all the same. She was back to his side and the two kept walking in silence that, like that short hug, shared all that it needed to.

**O - O - O - O - O - O - O**

The two walked like that for over six more hours, little questions and jokes here and there, when finally they caught a glimpse of what they had been searching for.

"What do you think?" Star asked, crouching beside him at the crest of a hill overlooking a small village, the buildings resembling those from an era of knights and kings. Marco rolled his eyes and frowned, the ant-sized occupants of said village the objects of his attention. "Dunno Star, I've never seen aliens before, so naturally I'm a little skeptical!"

"Aliens? Marco come on, they're not little green people," Star joked before suddenly getting serious, "Unless…."

"I _think_ they look weird as hell. You sure those are even 'people'?" he asked, turning to face her, "We might be better off just finding a pack of wolves and asking to be killed quickly."

"Oh come on, don't be like that," Star fired back, giving him a shove, "even the- …_different_, people from where I live, they can be really cool. You never know until you talk to them."

Marco gave her a skeptical look, as promised, asking, "How do we know they even speak english? How do _you _speak english?"

"Magic, mostly. It's like an, 'area of effect' type of spell? It translates for me and people I associate with. Makes being queen of crazy species easier."

"Well then, I'd prefer you do most of the talking, to be honest," Marco sighed, willing to give her some ground, "but if you think it's worth a shot… I guess we don't have much of a choice. Between these guys, and _starving_, well it's close. But I'd rather die here than out in the woods."

Star gave him a playful shove and pushed to her feet, pulling him up as well. "So optimistic, it's a wonder how you ever got depressed enough to want to jump off- ...sorry. Rambling again."

This time Marco grinned and set off with her down the hill. "It's okay, Star. Come on, let's go meet your friends."

"Bet I can make them _your_ friends by the end of the day," she chided, "but we'll start with hello and maybe some food, and see where the night takes us."

Marco gave her a quizzical look, finding her skipping down the hill beside him, and ruefully shook his head. "I know you wanna hope these people are just gonna hand us free stuff, Star, but chances are, we're gonna have to work for a meal, if they don't just kill us."

Star matched his curious stare with one of her own, her skips slowing back down to a trekking walk. "Well, yeah… I know they probably won't be all that nice, but hey: optimistic, alright?" She asked, giving him a shove and a hopeful grin, "step one of surviving a new dimension: meet the locals, and play nice. I'm about to be two for two."

"Alright, you got me there," he chuckled, the two nearly at the edge of the small village, "still, let's not put all our eggs into one-"

"Oh! Hello you two! It's about time you showed up!" The closest of a small gathering of villagers announced, "Thankfully, you're not too late! We're almost done preparing a feast for your arrival!"

Marco and Star stopped in their tracks, exchanging a short glance of confusion as the woman- if you could call it that -approached. She was dressed in ragged clothes stitched together haphazardly around her four arms, each of them carrying a basket of…' Sweet Fruits'. Her hair was blonde like Star's, tied back in a braid over her shoulder, but that was about where the similarities ended.

The oddest part about all of them wasn't the extra pair of arms, but instead, the uniform shade of deep red their eyes held, glowing almost in the afternoon sun. All of them shared that trait, despite being different sizes, genders, shades, and strength. They all had those creepy eyes...

"Well heck yeah! See Marco! Some free food and a little R and R, and _you_ thought they might be mean," Star chided, nudging his elbow. But Marco was more or less unresponsive to her jesting, his expression one of rigid assessment. He didn't like them, as he had predicted he wouldn't, but whether or not it was a culture shock, or perhaps just the way life on other planets behaved, he didn't know. They creeped him out.

"Star, I dunno, don't you think we should-" he began, but Star clamped a hand over his mouth and beamed the smiling villagers a smile to behold. "Sorry! He's just nervous around new people, trust issues, you know how it is. Can you maybe show us around?"

The closest of the villagers, if it was even possible, smiled even wider and beckoned for them to follow. Marco noted that her smile didn't really seem malicious, just more or less a bit hollow. And it bugged him. But regardless, he let out a shaky breath after Star released him, and followed the odd woman around.

She introduced herself as Makeeth, but when Star made to offer their own names, she brushed it off, explaining that "I already know who the both of you are, Star Butterfly and Barco Danz. We've been waiting for you, after all. Will you be staying to rest your tired bones?"

"Kinda weird that you already know our names," Marco muttered to himself, "have you been watching us? Spying on our every move and waiting until we found our way here?" He stared at the woman, realizing he had asked the question openly. Star was watching him with apprehension but didn't speak as Makeeth turned slightly to give Marco a dismissive glance. "Yes," she said shortly, as if it were obvious, "we saw you cross into our borders earlier today. We have excellent hearing, and heard plenty enough to know you weren't a threat."

Marco once again found himself staring at Star with wide eyes, but she readily continued smiling at the woman, pressing one finger to her lips when she gave him a short glance. He rolled his eyes and resigned himself to walk quietly behind her, keeping his mouth shut until they were alone.

Over the next several minutes, Makeeth continued to present the village to them in its entirety, which wasn't much. There were a few acres of farmland dedicated to that sweet fruit, and several small buildings for storage and farming equipment. Around the perimeter, a few grazing beetles the size of cars roamed alongside odd, six-legged animals resembling a camel and a moose. Marco rather enjoyed their small workshop, but what really got his attention was a neat, dirt circle near the center of town.

Makeeth explained that it was part of their tribe's culture to learn excessive hand to hand combat at a young age, as the land was shared with other beings of varying benevolence. What these four-armed, trained villagers had to fear, Marco didn't want to think about, and decided it best not to ask, letting the tour continue.

She showed them an unusual collection of stone huts that she fondly rereferred to as residencies organized in a hexagonal pattern, honeycombing for fifty yards before giving way to farmland. Star seemed to be interested in the fragrant aromas wafting from several of them, but after receiving an odd look from Marco, she bristled and did her best to hide her obvious salivation.

He wasn't sure what it was about the people that seemed off to him, perhaps their amicable reception to newcomers, their ever-present yet hollow smiles, or even just the way they talked. But it made his skin crawl. While Makeeth was showing them the lackluster elders hall, he began to wonder if he was imagining the odd sensation of being watched, or if it was simply that Makeeth had explained their exemplary hearing. _'Whatever. They have food, at the very least. I can play along for a day if it means leaving with a full belly,' _he wanted to grumble.

"What's that little weird building over there?" Star asked, pointing to a smaller hut littered with wooden figurines and- '_are those _bones?' Marco thought. Makeeth, for the first time, frowned at a question. But she continued walking, ushering them to follow in a different direction. "Do not worry about that place. The man who lives there is reclusive and practices odd magic. It is best to stay away from him."

Another red flag for Diaz, but just as before, he merely gave Star a withering look and kept his mouth shut. No questions, not yet.

Finally, Makeeth stopped at the door to a modest little hut and opened it for them, her lingering smile following them as they stepped inside. Marco was careful to note the windows, the door on the opposite side, and the cracked rocks that could be kicked out for escape, before stepping in after Star. Makeeth stood there for an uncomfortable moment before Marco cleared his throat, pressing his lips together and forcing a grin.

"Do you think you could give us a few minutes alone to get adjusted?" He asked gently, his twitching cheek betraying his nerves, "Sorry, it's just that we've been alone for a while, and I can get nervous around people."

He waited for her to respond, biting the inside of his cheek and hoping she would just leave. Maybe he _was_ being overly paranoid about strange new people, but he wasn't going to resign himself to danger so recklessly.

Surprisingly, or rather unsurprisingly, Makeeth nodded and without a word, shut the door behind her on her way out. Immediately, Marco turned to Star with narrowed eyes, careful to speak as quietly as possible. "You can't seriously trust these people, right?" He asked quickly.

Star seemed shocked at his abrasiveness, but immediately she softened as she realized that that was probably just how Marco was around people. "I know you don't trust people much, Marco, but come on; they're giving us a place to crash, they prepared a meal for us, the least we can do is give them the benefit of the doubt," she whispered back, "Besides, you heard what she said. It sounds like we dodged a real bullet with those other villages, they sound really messed up."

"Or maybe they're the normal ones. Maybe these people are the instigators and we're sitting right in the middle of a ploy," Marco fired back. He held Star's gaze and for a moment, realized how crazy it sounded before doubling down with his gut. "I'm not just being paranoid, I don't trust them, and I think we should leave."

"Marco!" Star yelled silently, making him wince and shoot a darting glance at the door, "we need food. Badly. We don't know the area, we don't know how to provide for ourselves, we don't even know how to cook, and we _still_ have to worry about finding Hekapoo."

"I know but-" he began, but Star was on a roll.

"I for one think we can trust them, and I'm the only one of us who's actually been to other dimensions. So if you wanna go out there and starve when there's perfectly good food and shelter right here, you be my guest, but…" she softened her frown and looked at the door, "but I really think we should stay. Together."

In that little stone hut furnished with animal skin decorum and wooden 'appliances', the two stood in silence as the new world moved around them, Deja Vu playing into their minds. One was afraid, and wanted to run, while the other pleaded with him to stay. With her. Marco could almost feel the crinkle of a note in his hand, and Star shivered under an imaginary brisk wind of the night.

"...no."

"...no?" Star stared at him, confusion and worry written across her face. And as Marco's slowly shifted to an apathetic resignation, he muttered, "you said you'd go with me if I asked. And now I'm asking for a good reason. So if that was a lie, then I guess I'm leaving alone."

"Marco, I wasn't- We can't- ...it's not safe out there." She struggled to put the right words in the air between them, but he was past that reasoning.

"It's not safe _here_, Star! I thought you would trust me on that!" He winced when he realized how loud he was speaking, and lowered his voice back down to a whisper as Star stared.

"But if you want to stay, I won't stop you," Marco whispered, lowering his head, "I've had to leave a lot of people behind in my lifetime, and I've been left behind more than that… so I hope- …I hope you take care, but I need to keep moving."

He didn't wait for her to argue, or raise a point to defend herself. He gave her a short nod, walked towards the door, and left. As simple as flipping a switch. While the new world was different and challenging and frightening, the one constant he trusted most was that he _couldn't_ trust people. People were always the same, and it was a lesson hard learned that no one ever gives you something for free. Star had given him a second chance at life, and it had cost him his old one. People lie, and he was better off alone anyway.

She stood there, alone in the now-hollow hut. She didn't move, perhaps waiting for him to come back, or perhaps out of fear that if she moved, things would stay this way. Only two weeks together, and it already felt like she had lost a part of herself now that he had left. No tears, no sobs, just an empty pressure in her chest to remind her that she was truly alone now.

"Star? Are you both ready for dinner?" Makeeth asked from the other side of the door, "fear not, we took precautions to ensure your privacy, if you felt discomforted by that. May I enter?"

Star looked from the spot where Marco had been standing to the door, quickly answering, "Yeah, come in."

Makeeth opened the door, a smaller version of herself standing idly behind. "This is my daughter, Rheneeth. She was very excited to meet a friendly outsider, I hope it's no- ...you are alone?" Makeeth looked around the room, not finding any sign on the boy bearing the red cloth. Her ears, pointed and tucked to the sides of her head, unfurled slightly and twitched, though she still asked, "where has Barco gone? Is he well?"

"He um...he left," Star admitted after a short pause. She didn't have the heart to tell her that it was out of fear and mistrust, so she ironically decided to lie. "He's not really good with people, so he decided to keep moving. He said he'd hope you understand."

Makeeth nodded slowly and grew her trademark smile as Rheneeth inspected the room for anything of interest. "Do not be troubled, I am sure he will return when hunger takes him, or he realizes how difficult it is to live without one's mate."

Star blushed profusely at the mention of that word, quick to defuse even the idea that she and he were… "No no no no you got it all wrong, sister. Marco and I are just friends, we don't…mate. Just besties on a mission together."

Makeeth looked down at Rehneeth, the two of them sharing a knowing look before wordlessly shrugging the odd phrasing off. "No matter, I am sure he will return. For now, a celebration is underway to welcome you to our village! Come, come!"

And so the four-armed woman and child led Star out of the empty hut and down the stone path towards the village center, where the elder's hall was waiting with a banquet of food and a crowd of villagers dispersed around a scattered group of tables and benches of various sizes and shapes.

From what she could tell, it looked like the village was separated into four social classes: the hunters, the warriors, the farmers, and the builders. And atop all of those, was the village elder. Basically the equivalent of the Johansen clan chief.

"Sit here, the elder will speak," Makeeth informed her, pulling up a chair beside her own and motioning for Star to sit. "He will welcome you, and then we will feast."

Something about the way she said _feast_ made Star nervous, like one of those old movies about people eating people, but with meat, fruit, and a bounty of unrecognizable food readily available, Star figured it was just...Marcos nerves getting into her head. She made to ask what the elder was like, but before she could, a ground-shaking horn blared from somewhere else in the village, signaling for everyone to quiet themselves and sit.

However, when the fur door flap to the elder's hall was pulled back by a warrior, Star was somewhat disappointed to find not a chief like her grandfather, but a fragile old man. He had a silver beard nearly touching the stone below, wore a hide robe sashed over his shoulder, and held a wooden cane in two of his hands as he slowly stepped into the light.

Thankfully not that kind of light.

"My people...I wish we could meet on-" the old man began before being interrupted by a warrior, the much taller and vastly more fit man turning the chief around to face the crowd. "Apologies, Hermeeth. Please continue."

Star stifled a giggle, but it felt hollow, as everyone in the village shared the same giggle at once. A little odd, but the chief's speech retained her attention. "As I was saying...er… I wish we could gather like this more often, and not stand on ceremony, but I suppose I will enjoy the gathering regardless."

He gestured an open hand towards Star, his wrinkled, furry smile giving her ease in such an odd place. "It has been far too many moons since we had a visitor with such pure intentions. I welcome you, Stan, and I welcome your mate. Stay as you wish, and enjoy what our village has to offer, for it has been many moons since-"

"Very good, Hermeeth. The chief wishes you all enjoy the feast!" A young warrior called out, ushering the much older man to his selected seat among the crowd. A wash of sterile cheers went up, and then right back down in the oddest way, but being close to starvation, Star didn't much care. Someone passed her by and placed a board lined with meat and fruit in front of her, and that was it.

'_Go time_,' she thought before digging in, her mouth immediately assaulted with delicious, savory flavors. The fruits were different, having a largely earthy, root taste to them, but when Rheneeth showed her that you drink the juice, not eat it, it was something else entirely. They tasted like cider, with a hint of ginger following, and it was refreshing to no end. Three days of river water, while appreciated, had done her in, but this? This was a gift.

"Enjoying the splendor of our village, child?" a voice like a breeze through dead autumn leaves asked. Star turned mid-bite and stopped when she saw who was speaking. He looked like many of the other villagers, but, different? His eyes weren't red, but rather a deep sapphire, like hers. His hair was as white as the elder's, but he looked as young as many of the warriors, wearing a sashed robe adorned with various fangs and skulls from small animals.

Her first impression of the strange man? Frankly, he reminded her of Dave Lucitor, a collected yet deceptively sinister man. "Yes, thank you." That was all she wanted to say. Perhaps she was spending too much time with Marco, because despite his polite facade, everything about him was screaming _RUN_ to her ears.

"Very good. I trust you shall enjoy many more to come. Allow me to introduce myself, Star Butterfly. My name is Zaleeth, the village priest. I had foreseen your arrival, and instructed my people to prepare at once." He gestured to the feast, but Star's attention was unmoving. Like if she looked away, he would strike.

"You're the guy who lives in the house with all the bones, right?" She guessed, but a short nod from Zaleeth proved her right. "Well it's nice to meet you, and thanks for the food."

Zaleeth nodded to himself and smiled, but his was...hollow. Like there was nothing behind it to send the message of good intentions. "It was my pleasure, child. Tell me, from where do you hail? And the boy, your…'bestie'."

Star felt a discomfort stirring in her gut, but pushed it down, remembering Makeeth's words to avoid the creep. "I'm from...Earth. The same as Marco." A short answer to convey her disinterest in talking to him, but he didn't yield, _his _interest seemingly growing. Where the corn was Makeeth?

"A fascinating discovery, and a new species to add to the menagerie," Zaleeth muttered to himself as Star felt that familiar tug of her fight or flight reflexes kicking in, "tell me, what level of magic do you possess, do all Mewmans possess such power?"

Star felt her blood run cold, and it was only then that she realized that it was deathly quiet. She pried her eyes away from that sinister, voracious grin, and found that all the men and women from the village, all the buildings, all the animals, the farms, hell, even the roads, were gone. Star blinked hard, and upon opening her eyes, she discovered she was sitting in a rotting wooden chair in the middle of the woods, the darkness of night enveloping everything around her.

"If you're still hungry, feel free to eat, and answer later," Zaleeth whispered into her ear, and when Star looked down, she saw no sign of cooked meat and cider filled fruits, but instead found rotten sour fruits and the freshly torn apart carcass of a jackalegs. "Wha- WHA-…*hurk* UGH!"

Star jumped from her chair and pushed the man away, dropping to her knees and vomiting unspeakable, bloody things onto the grass. She didn't want to know what must have been all over her face. "Star, are you unwell? I should hate to take in a sickly creature for my collection," Zaleeth chided, "perhaps you need some...comfort? From a friend?"

He stepped back and touched the Jackalegs skull on his robe, rubbing the antlers as the eyes began to glow red. Before Star's very eyes, a mass of black sludge coalesced out of the aether, forming a writhing mass in front of Zaleeth.

She coughed the last bits of refuse from her stomach and struggled to stand, her head still spinning, but she couldn't get the ground to stay still. On wobbly legs she got her footing, holding onto the chair for support when she turned to look back at- "Marco?"

He was there, between the two of them as casually as if they were back on Earth. And it made her sick.

"What the _fuck_ are you?" She spat, eying Zaleeth with all the malice she could muster. The four-armed shaman looked at her, confused, but smiled nonetheless. While his mouth moved, it was Marco's mouth and voice that answered. "Star, are you feeling alright? Maybe you should-"

Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Star swung her fist in a wild haymaker, colliding with 'Marco's' cheek to blast the sludge head into a spray of black. Zaleeth took a step back and wiped a few stray drops away, but kept his smile intact as the Jackalegs skull inhaled the remaining liquid.

"So, you really _can_ see through me," he murmured, almost in note, "Fascinating. Your magic, it must be something to behold."

"Where...are the villagers?" Star demanded, barely hiding the boiling rage in her voice, but Zaleeth chuckled as though he was amused by the question. "My village, they are nothing but a memory now, child. I put their bodies to good use decades ago, wasted nothing in my… experiments. Their life energy; it was bountiful, but yours will provide so much more than they ever could."

He began to reach two of his hands towards Star, but she backed up a step in return, raising the chair over her shoulder. "If you want at least _one_ of your arms to stay attached to your body, you're gonna walk away, _right now_. Understand?"

He gave her a puzzled look, but it was one that quickly shifted towards annoyance. "Hmmmm. Your ability to see through my magic...is troubling, but nothing I would consider a deterrent." Zaleeth splayed all four sets of hands, each one glowing red to match every eye socket dotting his robes.

Suddenly, Star felt an icy chill riding up her spine that contracted every muscle between her neck and her wings. Her vision was blurring, if that was possible, and the color seemed to fade from the world, draining from every blade of grass, every leaf, every root; straight into Zaleeth's hands.

"You possess an energy, a life force," Zaleeth breathed, his chest heaving with the effort as he lurched closer to her, "your body holds magic of unrivaled purity, and you would be wise to surrender it."

"And you'd be wise to shut up and die, but I think we're both gonna walk away disappointed," Star shot back, dropping the chair and pressing her palms together. Wasting no time, Zaleeth brought all four hands to the ground, driving each finger deep into the earth and filling it with his dark spell. Immediately, the ground began to shake and come apart as the bones of decades worth of dead animals crawled from the dirt, some with flesh still clinging to their bones. Even Star's 'feast' had come back for revenge.

"Her bones, skin, heart, nothing must be wasted. Bring her to me," was all Zaleeth whispered, sending a thundering of creatures of all sizes towards the young woman before him. But Star was in no mood to stick around and find out what they could do. When she separated her hands, four more followed until six arms hung at her sides. She kicked off the ground and unfurled a radiant set of purple wings, flapping hard to catch the wind just as a set of fangs snapped at the space she had been standing.

Her eyes, now heart-shaped beacons of white light, stared unfeeling at Zaleeth, sharing a second of unspoken warning before she raised two pairs of hands. They hummed with brilliant purple, as if hungry to be set loose on the deceiver, but it was a mixture of real hunger, panic, and desperation that held them back, Star being in no condition to fight.

She wasted no time blasting off above the canopy, taking a few branches with her in a mad dash to escape that nightmare. Her last thought was on finding Marco before her instincts kicked in and took control.

Zaleeth, however, stared up at the heart-shaped hole in the leaves above him, watching as a pinprick of purple light beamed across the sky before disappearing into the distance.

His ravenous, rotting army snarled and snapped at each other, confused as to where their target had disappeared to, but Zaleeth stood motionless, watching the sky. "Very…curious," was all he breathed before collapsing into a pile of steaming black sludge, his army crumbling back to corpses to be reclaimed by the forest. All that was left was a single chair and a bloody Jackalegs.

**O - O - O - O - O - O - O**

"So, what's it gonna be kid? Your money or your life?"

*_spits_* "I don't suppose you take Discover?" Marco asked, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip and eyeing the four, bodied men lying unconscious in front of him. "I get good cashback with them, and so can-" *_**THWACK!***_

Another kick sent another man to the ground, but his ribs were on fire. He shouldn't be moving like this, let alone fighting like this. But running into- he supposed they were basically bandits -had a funny way of forcing his hand. Seven of them were armed, with five on the ground now, so raising his hands in tight fists, he eyed their leader.

He was a bigger dude, but he didn't have that ragged, cut up look like the rest of them, even wearing nice clothes to set him apart. But he hadn't said a word, not even one, and it pissed Marco off to no end. "Let's go, eventually one of you is gonna kill me, but before that? I'm gonna make sure the next one who tries never walks again."

A few of the leftover bandits shifted uneasily, but most of them inched closer, weapons drawn to make a move. Finally, one of them darted forward to thrust at Marco's chest with his shortsword, but the boxer was ready for him. Marco swept a hand to push the blade just far enough off course to miss, and went in close. He sent three hard jabs to his ribs, fired a blurred elbow to the bandit's temple, and grabbed his right wrist. Twisting, the bandit dropped his blade and finally managed a yelp when Marco forced him lower, and drove his heel straight into the side of his knee.

The man screamed in agony, clutching his twisted leg as Marco dropped him to the ground and stomped him unconscious. "Better luck next time, pal. ...Anyone else?" He breathed, clutching his own burning ribs, "I feel like _you_ have a pretty good chance." He pointed at the next largest bandit after the leader, but before any one of them could move, a loud buzzing sound forced them all to look up.

In a blur of purple, something slammed into the ground, kicking up dust in a shimmer of light and loud buzzing, forcing everyone to either shield themselves or risk getting blown away. Marco's first reaction was to raise his fists and take a ready stance, but as the dust began to clear to reveal what it was that had interrupted the fight, he slowly lowered them.

"Star?" He asked through slow, deliberate breaths, "is that you?"

The purple being with wings of the deepest amethyst slowly looked over at him, saying nothing with wide, glowing eyes, before turning back to face what was left of the bandits. Two of them raised their swords, ready to fight this strange creature, but without any chance for hesitation, it used two of its own hands to fire split beams of light, blasting them back into the woods.

"Oh hoho, you guys are _so_ fucked now," Marco chuckled, wincing as each breath set his ribs ablaze. But the bandit leader held up a hand, signaling for the remaining four to stand down, watching the creature carefully. And then he spoke, his voice a deep growl, but somehow still calm and decisive.

"Would you be interested in a deal, boy?"

"Go fuck yourself," Marco barked.

Star held steadfast against the five men, a silent barrier between them. But even in her strange, alien, mute form, she seemed to radiate more anger at the leader's question, and fragility with Marco behind her. A tinge of resentment burned in the back of his mind for her earlier dismissal of his warnings, but he did his best to ignore it.

Maybe he had something to prove, or maybe he was feeling desperate, because his next words shocked even him with the carelessness they carried. "Unless...you have something good to offer."

The bandits turned to one another, but Marco was still watching Star, staring at the odd, new, alien form she had taken on. There was a chance this was what she really looked like, that maybe she was just blending in on Earth. But the more he thought about it, the less likely it seemed.

Star was so determined to stay at the village, even going back on her word to leave if he felt uneasy. So now, to see her change her tune and looks so quickly, and to show up only an hour later? _'Something must have happened, they must have done something,'_ he assessed, taking into consideration her current state.

"Are you okay, Star?" He asked quietly, but he got no answer.

"You. Boy," the leader called out, his tone all business, "we have uses for you and your...pet. Our clan has food, medicine, shelter, and _women_; all we ask is that you join us, and raise your sword in our name."

Marco looked at each of them, noting that they seemed to be, though highly incompetent in combat, at least well-armed. And now that they knew what he and Star could do, betrayal was all the more unlikely. And again, maybe it was desperation, but something in the back of his mind told him that this was a better option than the village.

The bandits watched as Marco drew closer to Star; calmly, carefully, so as not to spook her. And in a whisper, he asked, "do you trust me?"

After a moment of apparent, deep consideration, the creature resembling his friend nodded, her eyes darting to his.

That was good enough of an answer for now. Whatever happened to her, whatever caused her to turn into this, whether or not she'd go back to normal; it could wait. For now, Marco was about to make a decision that could end or change his life within a day. But the beauty of life he had grown to know is that bad people can be trusted so long as you're of value to them, so long as you can buy their loyalty. Their intentions were the clearest. Good-natured people, well they can't be bought, and you never know what they really want.

"If you cross us," Marco prompted, standing beside Star to seem more intimidating, "you won't live long enough to regret it."

The leader nodded, both all too eager to accept, and disappointed with the response. "You have our word, boy."

* * *

_Trust. _

_Something so immaterial, yet treasured by those from all walks of life. From the lowest of scum to the highest of principle, Trust is something that can be given, broken, treasured, and missed. Those who have it fear its loss, and those without it know naught but fear in its absence. To have it is a gift, but to lose it? That is a lesson one doesn't forget._

_~Mr. Ronald Reagan_


	5. A Lent Hand

_**Fleeting Moments**_

_Ch. 5_

_**A lent hand**_

* * *

"Alright, so what exactly do you want from us?" Marco demanded, taking a step forward and standing in front of Star. He was doing his best to keep his confrontational attitude loosely intact. To say that he was having _none_ of this was a crushing understatement, so whatever got him back in a quiet bed with some food, better come a lot faster.

The ring leader wasted no time in grabbing one of his _'subordinates'_ swords, testing its weight in his hands before abruptly throwing it at Marco. Of course it was only a meager show of force, and the sword was impaled right at Marco's feet, its hilt wobbling lazily. "I told you what we ask, boy. Pick up that weapon for our cause and fight for us," he said, almost like he was _ordering _Marco to do so, "you _and_ your pet."

"Okay _one_, she's not a pet. She's… she's a friend of mine," Marco listed, though his hesitation caught even him off guard. It was hardly warranted, but in light of Star's recent rejection of his advice, the scorn he harbored hadn't exactly melted away just because she stepped in to save his ass.

"Two, what _'cause'_ exactly are you expecting us to sign our souls away for?" he asked with narrowed eyes, his position in front of Star meant to convey some sense of control in the conversation, "Because so far I've only see your robbing venture, and I gotta say: not that promising."

The ringleader glared back at Marco, his pretty face contorting ever so slightly towards impatience. "Our actions are not excusable, I'm aware. You may look upon thieves and murderers with scorn, but we do this because we _have to_. Our hands have been forced by those that rule above us."

Marco's first gut reaction, his first instinctual image, was of course Hekapoo. The flaming bitch herself that beat the snot out of him, stole Star's toy, and left them for dead. But, at the same time, he had to be sure if his hunch was right, if Hekapoo was really in charge in this place. "And who exactly is that?" He asked, his glare not once faltering to the swelling group of scornful looks he was receiving, "Who rules over you guys and makes you rob people?"

While all of this was going on, however, Marco finally took notice of the odd noise coming from behind him. A quick glance proved disastrous, revealing nothing out of the ordinary besides Star, in her odd, purple form. Except her breathing was much more bellowed, more...lascivious almost. It unnerved him but he had to keep up a front, turning around and facing the leader, hopeful that no one had taken notice yet.

"Enough questions, boy," the man in charge snorted, unbecoming of his prior collected nature, "if you want our objectives, oppressions and morals to be laid bare, you will come with us and find out for yourself. Do we have a deal or not?"

Marco struggled to concentrate, but the panting, the hoarse, heavy breathing behind him made it difficult. Another quick glance showed that Star was practically sweating now, and her once vacant eyes were trained on him. Not in malice or predatory nature, but rather in an affectionate gaze, like he was all she could see.

Unhelpful as expected. Turning back around and trying to ignore whatever the hell _that_ was, Marco leaned forward and ripped the sword from the dirt and held it aloft, finding its weight extremely off balance and far too heavy to wield. "Fine. It's a deal," he growled, careful to uphold his front as he leveled the useless sword at the leader, "but just remember: you cross us, you die. And if you people are as scummy as you've been, as you _look_? We'll finish what we started."

A moment of held, strained silence passed between the two men before finally, the leader smirked in a pleased, yet equally amused fashion. He lifted his arm and threw his hand rearward, signaling his men to move out. Or what was left of them. "Your attitude won't make you many friends among us, Boy. Pray that my patience is matched by your skill." He hesitated for a moment, looking Marco over before adding, "or at the very least, your usefulness."

Without another word, the man turned about and followed two of his men into the woods, leaving two more to tend to the newly wounded. Marco lowered his new sword, ultimately stabbing it into the ground as he had no sheath. "Alright then?"

He heard one of the bandits grumble, "Kid fucks up five of our guys, the freaky bug killed two more, and we're letting 'em in?" But one scorching glare from the leader shut him up as Marco turned to Star, ignoring the grunts picking up bodies. Barely above a whisper he asked, "can you change back? I think we should be safe now, if you...can…?"

His words trailed off as he slowly processed the state Star was in. She stared at him with such intensity, he feared she might burn two holes into his chest with her eyes. She was shaking, sweating, and… was she _panting_? He figured it was likely some effect of looking like that, whatever that form was supposed to do for her, but thankfully after a moment she nodded, her eyes widening hungrily.

There was no warning, and it happened so fast Marco had no time to react. In a split second, Star's vacant, empty expression cracked the faintest of smiles before she suddenly lunged at him, pressing her lavender lips to his. It wasn't romantic, or affectionate by any means, hell no. Rather, it was voracious, like she was starving for that contact and living without it had driven her mad.

Marco on the other hand reacted as anyone should in that situation, and struggled to get away from the onslaught, much to no avail. Six arms grabbed his own and held him in place as he struggled, but to his surprise, it was over as fast as it had begun. As if her appetite had been immediately satiated with the kiss, Star's arms folded into themselves until there were only two, and her wings dissolved into nothing as her color returned to normal.

Within seconds, she looked like she had when she told him she wasn't going with him. Except for what followed immediately after, where Star collapsed onto Marco in a heap he struggled to balance. He looked around nervously, finding the grunts quickly looking back at their work before he turned back to Star, carefully setting her down and cradling her.

_'What the fuuuuuuck?'_ He mentally screamed.

As a million reactions raged in and out of his mind, Marco turned to the sound of the leader striding back out of the forest with two horses in tote. Perfect. Timing.

"Boy. You and- …," he stopped, staring at the young man the unconscious woman currently drooling in his arms before asking simply, "who is that."

_'And I guess we're doing _this _now,_' Marco seethed. Between his confusion, his embarrassment, his hunger and his screaming wounds, he was well and done with the situation before it had even started. "This is Star. The purple girl that was just here," he offered, though when he was met with skepticism, he explained shortly,, "She can transform... I guess? Save your breath and don't ask. I don't know either."

Another long silence between them before the man finally answered, "...aye, very well. You and her will come with me and meet with our leader." As he said it, Marco traded a one-sided glance with Star before turning back and cocking a confused eyebrow. "Is...is that not _you,_ big guy?"

At that, he finally got a speck of emotion from the man in the form of a stifled laugh before he shook his head. "Heh, no Boy. I am Alwen, and I operate below the one in charge. He is who you will question, and if you displease the leader, he will end your life without a second thought."

Marco scoffed at that. "He sounds almost as charming as you," he grumbled, forgetting for a moment that Star was still out cold, and burdening him with keeping her upright. He glanced at the two horses Alwen was shepherding, asking skeptically, "are the two of us supposed to share a horse? Or-"

"Is that a problem? Would you prefer to match his gait with a run?" Alwen asked with all the sarcasm he was probably capable of, "besides, it seems you're already sharing plenty."

Marco rolled his eyes at the jab and heaved Star into a cradled position, noting that she was far heavier than she looked. "No, it's fine I guess. Just...kinda weird." Alwen shot him a questioning look, which Marco was quick to brush off before carefully lifting Star up to the saddle.

After some delicate, embarrassing maneuvering, he had Star saddled to his front, resting against his chest as he waited for Alwen to finish barking orders to what remained of his men. "Get them back to camp by any means necessary. No risks, and stay out of sight. I should be back before sun up tomorrow."

Of course, it took no time at all for Alwen to notice Marco's precarious position and mount his horse, calling out, "you look like a frightened whelp with that woman to your front, Boy. Try to appear less weak when you meet our leader." And with that, he kicked off, his horse thundering down the dirt road with complete disregard for the newbies.

"_Hurrrrr, try to appear less weak,_ _boy_," Marco mocked before tapping his horse on the flank. The chestnut steed whinnied in complaint before starting a quick trot down the dirt road, Marco keeping his eyes trained forward and on Alwen.

As it turned out, though, he had no idea how long he was supposed to follow, or how far away their destination was. Moreover, he came to the daunting realization that he had no idea how to properly ride a horse, just going off of old movies and video games for the basics, but thankfully it seemed capable of following Alwen without his help.

On the bright side, he didn't have to use what little energy he had left walking, much preferring to watch the forest around him and learn what he could about keeping his ride in check. Then, after an hour of what he considered beautiful silence, he was relieved to feel Star finally stir to his front, her back arching as she stretched.

But that wonderful peace was short-lived, as Star took one quick look around, inhaled sharply, and began screaming as she struggled to free herself from whatever position she was in with her captors. "Star what are you-?!" Was all Marco could say before taking an elbow to his inflamed ribs, Star struggling to get away from him.

"GET OFF ME! LET ME GO, _NOW! _GET THE HECK AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed, but Marco held firm, desperate to breathe as he held her struggling form in place to keep her from falling. But holy hell, she was stronger than him by a mile, and she could still breathe. With no effort, she shoved him back off of the saddle, and straight off the horse to the dirt road below.

Marco hit the ground with a thud as Star stopped the horse and turned herself around, looking down at her thrown captor to find- "Marco?" She asked carefully, assessing every inch of him with intense scrutiny.

"Who the fuck else would it be?" He demanded through clenched teeth, "The hell's your problem?!"

Star stared at him, wide eyed, terrified and desperate before glancing around at her surroundings. "Where is he? Is this just more of the same crazy trick? Are you even real?" She demanded right back, careful to keep her safer position on the horse. After a moment of catching his breath. Marco righted himself into a lounging position and glared at her.

"YES it's me, you crazy-," he stopped himself, remembering the circumstances of her return and the mystery surrounding her experiences after he had left. "Ugghh! Screw it nevermind. What happened at the village?," he asked, not wasting his limited breath, "are you okay?"

His answer was a piercing glare that was held as the seconds droned by. She was watching him, _carefully_, as if she was analyzing every detail she could, and it only served to raise his curiosity. And his worry. "What are you staring at me like that for? Can you answer me, or are you still brain dead up there?"

"What are you talking about?" She barked, finding his sword strapped to the saddle and pulling it from the leather. As she tested its weight, finding it very agreeable, she continued, asking, "how do I know you're the real Marco? Tell me something only he would know!"

"What the fu-! What?!" Marco demanded, but Star jumped from the saddle and leveled her blade with his face, her eyes showing no sign of that bubbly joy they usually expressed. "Unless you're a fake too, like the last one," she growled.

Marco rolled his eyes. He wasn't easily intimidated by a blonde teenager weilding a stupid-

"Answer me!" Star shouted, pressing the tip of her blade to his chest. Marco looked down at the weathered steel before turning his gaze back up to her. "You saved my life, and now you're gonna end it?" He asked in a low voice, "you won't kill me because you know it's me. So cut the crap and tell me what happened, before I-"

Star was on him in a heartbeat, having spent only one second of livid surprise before realizing this idiot was _her _idiot. She had her arms wrapped around his waist in a bone crushing hug, literally, before darting back and assessing his stomach. "Sorry! Sorry sorry sorry! I didn't know if… you were real or not," she explained, but he was already chuckling off the pain.

"First you kiss me, then you threaten my life, and now you're torturing me?" He laughed through labored breaths, "whatever planet you're from must be wild."

But his joking demeanor quickly subsided when he noticed Star's sudden, profuse blushing and her immediate distancing from him. "First I what? Did he send a copy of me after you too?" She asked, terrified that Marco might have been tricked just the same.

"No? Who sent a _what?_" He asked, heaving himself to his feet, "_you_ kissed _me,_ and you haven't left my side since. You were like a big purple moth and you blasted two guys to hell, and after some...negotiations with the rest, you kissed me and passed out."

Star took another step back to keep her distance from him and looked back at the horse. After some short deliberation, however, she finally sighed and turned back to Marco. "Okay. Let's- ...run me through this again, where are we?"

For a moment, he didn't say anything. He just watched her, careful not to freak her out any more than she already had been. "When we seperated, I left back down the road we came, and I kinda got jumped by some pricks," he explained, finding that Star was thankfully nodding along. "After that, I took out a few of 'em, took a few good hits myself, and then you flew in all purpley with wings and six arms and junk, you blasted two, and the leader asked us to join them. We talked, I said fine, he left. _Then_, you kissed me, changed back to normal, and we were following the guy when you woke up and beat the shit out of me."

"Yeah I remember that part…," Star murmured to herself. What she also remembered, was seven layers of fresh hell that took place before she blacked out. And Marco, ever clever as he was, was keen to know what that was.

"What happened to _you?_ At the village, I mean. You came in like some kinda monster, so...are you alright?" He asked, taking a step closer to her, but like clockwork she stepped back a pace in return. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, the village turned out to be…" Star faltered, glaring at the ground, but Marco could see she was shaking, even if only slightly. "It turned out to be a trap. So I must have used my butterfly transformation to get out."

Marco tilted his head at the mention of 'butterfly transformation, the sight of it alone reaffirming his belief that Star was truly something from another world. "And that weird kiss?"

He noticed Star blush, but it was likely embarrassment above anything else. She wouldn't meet his eyes. "It's uh, got a mind of its own. Its supposed to go away after a couple hours, but...I guess not all the time.

Marco nodded at that, finding it more than weird enough to warrant moreover, he was curious as to what else might have happened during that 'trap' of a village.

It was true, he knew it was off, and more than a little sketchy, but he felt as though he couldn't gloat, or tell her it served her right out of fear that maybe she had experienced something awful before she escaped. "Are you alright, Star? Really?" He asked carefully, gesturing to his maintained distance from her.

Before she could answer, the rapping of hooves against the dirt alerted them that their returned privacy was not to last. "I see your friend is awake, boy. Keep up with me if you want to arrive before nightfall. I _do_ have things to do today.," Alwen barked, nodding to their horse and turning his own around. Star shot a look at Marco, a desperate glance to gauge his reaction before he nodded, gesturing for her to saddle up and trust him.

Slowly, as if she _didn't_ trust him, Star finally gave in and mounted the horse. But this time, she made Marco ride in front, holding his shoulders as the horse began its quick trot after Alwen. When they had picked up speed, she leaned forward and spoke in his ear, "I'm fine. Just ...a little messed up from it. ...thanks for asking, though."

She saw Marco nod to himself in front of her, but to himself he knew that there was more she wasn't telling him. He'd seen the village, there was no way she couldn't take a handful of them on and escape without turning into that thing. Something happened, something _bad_, but he decided to let it be for now. He valued privacy above all else, and he trusted that she was being honest in saying she was still messed up about it.

Changing the conversation, and still sitting in a cautious position, Star asked, "are we really joining the guys that tried to rob you? I thought you were more focused on finding Hekapoo."

"I am," he answered, softly of course, "but right now, we need a place to crash, maybe some food and a bed."

Star was quiet for a moment, her brows furrowed in contempt at the idea of testing out _another_ group of people so soon. "And you think we can trust these guys any more than- ...you think they won't try to kill us?"

He shook his head and tossed her a curious glance before answering, "well, they already tried to kill us, and they think we might be useful to them. But, no. I don't think we can trust them. Keep your guard up, stick together this time."

Those last words were tinged with more than their fair share of spite, but Star didn't have anything to say in return. So, slapping the reins and giving his horse a kick, Marco picked up speed to follow Alwen more closely, and the two rode the rest of the way in silence.

**O - O - O - O - O - O - O**

It was a double edged sword of peace and quiet Marco found himself struggling to enjoy for the second time that evening. On one hand, Star hadn't said a word to him until Alwen informed them they were close, but on the other? Star hadn't said a single word, and it was making him nervous.

He regretted his remark about sticking together _this time_, but it was true. Had she decided to leave with him, they probably would have been fine. But now, she was silent as the dead, and it was all he could think about before Alwen called out, "Duvaliet!" To the seemingly ordinary treeline he had stopped at. Both Star and Marco craned their necks for a better look and were quickly rewarded with a brutish man stepping from the forest.

He wore the same raggedy clothes the rest of the bandits wore, save for a helmet to his credit, and carried a spear. Though, Marco noted he carried it aloft, as if he had no intention of actually using it in battle. Given the way his arms rippled as he walked, that was probably a safe choice. "Masters expecting you," the man chuckled before turning to the other two, sizing them up as little more than kids tagging along. "Who are they?"

Marco listened carefully, something Alwen was well aware of as he answered back, "tributes. Let the Master know I've brought guests, and keep any other information to yourself, Ginseng."

The muscular guard nodded and pulled back several branches to reveal a worn, dingy little path that led deeper into the woods. Alwen was keen to hurry inside, his horse trotting through without complaint, but Star and Marco held back for a moment.

"You think it's safe?" Star asked him, finally breaking their silence. Marco answered with a curious look at the guard and the forest around him before muttering, "probably not. But only one way to find out, right?"

Star didn't answer, likely eager to continue 'the quiet game', so Marco wasted no time in coaxing his horse to follow past the guard and deeper into the woods.

What they were met with was a sight nothing short of jaw dropping, both Star and Marco left speechless as the trudged closer. Where they expected a run-down camp of filthy degenerates and lowlife scumbags, they found themselves sitting dead center of an _empty_ run-down camp.

"The hell is _this_ place?" Marco asked, throwing Alwen an incredulous look, "what, was the homeless shelter taken this wee-"

"Silence yourself, boy," Alwen interrupted, not even bothering to look back as his horse strode past the main tent, and straight through the camp, "I will not warn you again to mind your tongue. Perhaps take after your friend until this meeting is over, and it would do you well in getting what we both want."

Marco made to comment, but a sudden squeeze of his shoulder served as a reminder that Star was riding behind him, and she clearly didn't need him starting something. Either way, he didn't have the mind to say anything when Alwen stopped under a pine tree just outside the camp's border. When it was clear Marco wasn't going to comment, either under duress or common sense, the man pulled a branch, making a loud *_chunk*_ sound as it dropped.

Just behind the tree, a mound of grass rattled, shaking pollen and dust before it suddenly began rising, revealing a descending slope carved into the ground. The mechanism of gears that lifted the mound groaned, but finally clicked into place as the mound was locked open like a huge, grassy maw.

Alwen took special notice of the two teens dropped jaws, both of them glancing back at the empty camp before looking at him. "You know, I've heard you can see it even better from inside," he prompted with excessive smarm, dismounting his horse and stepping down the slope. Marco said nothing, but another squeeze on his shoulder prompted him to trade a glance with Star.

He found her already staring, and looking more than a little skeptical. "This could be a trap," she whispered.

Marco seemed to have considered it, but after a moment he too dismounted his horse, holding out a hand for Star to help her down. Thankfully, she took it and jumped down before he answered, "If it is, we stick together through it. If you wanna leave, I'm with you."

It was meant to show her that he could be trusted, that he was willing to do for her what she had refused. But Star felt a wash of guilt overtake her, knowing that it was just another jab at her mistake, despite the fact that she had already paid the price for it. Regardless, she nodded, whispering, "I trust you."

Marco, satisfied with her answer, took the lead and followed Alwen down the rabbit hole. But the first thing he noticed about the dirt cave they had just entered was that it smelled nothing like a cave. It smelled like vanilla spice and sugar cookies, of all things. "I don't like this," Marco muttered as Star took a whiff of her own, matching his expression.

But before either of them could ask to turn tail and run, they reached the end of the tunnel and found themselves staring right into the antechamber of a cave system unlike anything they'd ever seen.

It was a massive underground cavern littered with stalactites above and stalagmites below, all dotted with lanterns and torches to provide a dazzling array of artificial light. It was like a stone forest with flickering fireflies, but below was a scale model of the camp above. A few dozen men and women shuffled around wooden shacks, depots of unknown functions varying from weapons cleaning to armor repair.

Ziplines carrying wooden carts of goods whizzed past above their heads from raised platforms and stalls; the clangs of moved metal sang through the columns; it honestly made Marco dizzy. He was used to the quiet, the solitary. This place was anything but that.

"Everyone's first time seeing the Cathedral is just like this, so try not to lose focus and keep with me," Alwen muttered, but both of them could tell he was more than a little proud to show off his home. He was quick to sidestep the 'workshop', as Marco figured it was called, before leading them down a side cavern. Its walls were both slanted at a left-leaning forty five degree angle, but there was room enough for everyone to walk without slouching.

The first notable set of rooms they passed were what Star figured were bunk rooms, each with two rows of beds lining either side of a dug-out space. Footlockers and chests were scattered about and likely full of the other bandits belongings, but other than that? It was largely empty and boring by her standards, and could have reeeaaally used a S.G.B.E. spell.

Marco tried to appear nonchalant as he struggled to snag a peak into what he believed was a planning room, of sorts. Knives on a wooden table all stabbed into a huge map, he figured there was some useful geographical information in there, but Alwen was quick to step in the way. "If you are accepted, then you may enter. But until then, you're an outsider, and you stay in the dark."

"Whatever," Marco grumbled, glaring at the back of his head. But a nudge from Star quickly got his attention turned to another side room, this one's door only open a crack. Inside, the two saw a swarm of varying oranges and reds, and more than enough fire to light several rooms, but they couldn't see much else. "What's in there?" Star asked.

Alwen threw a lazy look at the cracked door and shook his head. "Just a religious space from those that believe in any of that. You're welcome to waste your time there after you meet our leader."

Star glared at the back of his head in the exact same fashion that Marco had, but decided it best not to push it. What was prominent on her mind wasn't the rooms anyway. It was the tour.

Earlier that same day, she had let herself be led around an illusion town with illusion people, and at any second she could have been killed. She was completely at that man's mercy, and she wasn't keen to be caught in that position again. Thankfully, the differences were just as severe as the similarities.

This time, Marco was with her, however helpful he wanted to or could be. And of course, this Alwen guy seemed to more or less be completely indifferent to them, rather than watching their every move with intense scrutiny and enthusiasm. He was quiet, but in an annoyed way, and for whatever reason that made him seem more real. Even if he was a _real_ prick.

Finally, at the end of the long cavern were a set of wooden doors that slanted with the walls, their age showing through a thick patina of grime and mineral growth. Marco was the first to comment, muttering, "It's kind of pompous, isn't it?"

"Mind your tongue, boy," Alwen barked, giving Marcona sideways glance as he approached the door, "choose your words carelessly, and you might lose it. The same goes for you, girl."

Star was glaring daggers at him now, silently affirming she and him would _not_ get along when Marco finally sighed. "Fine. I'll play nice with your boss guy," he muttered, turning to look at Star. She dropped her glare and gave him an appraising look as he suggested, "it's probably our best chance of not starving or being gutted."

"Fair choice. Thank you," Alwen noted, before promptly turning towards the door and knocking three times.

No answer.

Again, Alwen knocked three times.

Still no answer.

Not wanting to look ridiculous, Alwen knocked three more times, and _this_ time he announced himself with, "I have brought you two prospects that wish to meet."

There came a rustling from the other side of the door, but still no answer. Alwen sighed, defeated, glaring at the door as if it was the source of his embarrassment. "And I believe there is value in their skills...Mother."

Like clockwork the door swung open so fast it created a vacuum. And both Star and Marco alike were left stunned at the sight that lay behind it: not a leader of power and size, but an old woman graying and well past her fifties. She was dressed as nicely as Alwen, if not a little better, and completely ignored him in lieu of the two teenagers standing before her.

"I thought you said it was a guy," Marco muttered to Alwen, but to the man's relief, no one paid attention to the comment. Eager to get things rolling, the woman barked, "Age. The lot of you."

Marco traded glances with Star, finding the question more than a little off-putting. Why she needed to know was beyond him, but ultimately he answered with, "Nineteen. You can take a look at my license if yo-OOF!"

A stiff elbow from Alwen kept him in line. Next the woman turned to Star, waiting less than patiently for her answer. The blonde princess took another quick look at Marco, to which he shrugged before she finally mumbled, "same as him."

"BAH! You've brought me children, boy! What's gotten in your head!" The old woman shouted at who Star and Marco figured was her son, Alwen. "I need warriors, not stumbling, half-baked adolescents!"

She made to slam the door in his face, clearly a woman as charming as her supposed son, when Alwen kicked his foot out, holding it open as he leaned closer. "Mothe- ...Lady Duwen, they beat seven of my entourage with nothing but their hands. Their age is but a number, and we would be wise to overlook it," he finished, meeting her tired eyes.

She was glaring at him, harder than Marco thought possible for an old codger like herself, but Alwen held firm. He gestured to the both of them, adding, "I don't bring you new prospects unless I'm sure you can use them. And we _can_ use them, of that there's no doubt."

Duwen, he thought he heard that name correctly, turned and glanced over Star and Marco once more, this time with far more careful scrutiny. She did this for a moment, to the point where it began to get uncomfortable before she finally grumbled, "Fine. Come in, and mind your boots!"

She led them into the dimly lit little room, and it became quickly apparent why the entire cave system smelled like a bakery. Ole Nanny Duwen had two ovens tucked to the side of the carved out space, and they were clearly used to heavy traffic. The walls were lined with twin trails of smoke, but the smells coming from them made their mouths water.

Other than the mini bakery, there was a rather large wooden desk, littered with maps, papers, and jewelry. To the walls went bookshelves lined with books, scrolls, and various nick knacks, and tucked to the side was a very old, heavily worn suit of armor, shaped to fit a young woman.

Besides all this there was of course, a mess on every square inch, but Nanny Duwen sat down behind her desk and motioned for the two 'kids' to sit. After gawking at the odd little room, Star and Marco both took a seat opposite to Duwens desk and waited as Alwen hovered near the back of the room, sifting through papers.

"How long have you two been fighting the crown?"

Star seemed to take immediate offense to the question, because what didn't she take offense to today, and Marco merely answered with a confused tilt of his head. After a quiet moment of awkward silence, both of them glancing back at Alwen for advice, Duwen let out a deep sigh. "You have no idea what I'm talking about. Do you."

She threw a glare at Alwen, one he was quick to dismiss with a shrug. "They fight like they've been trained. I'm not expected to know their life story. "

Glaring at Duwen, Star felt the tension rising in the room like a heat she couldn't escape. "Of course we can fight," she grumbled, "We both have been trained since we were little. Who's this 'crown' you expect us to fight?"

Marco gave her a sideways glance but wisely kept his mouth shut as they waited for an answer. If Star really was royalty wherever she came from, he worried she might start something dramatic over the nickname 'crown', but thankfully, it seemed like she was just asking for clarity. Duwen, however, didn't answer, and leaned over to look at Alwen.

"Let me try to understand this situation I find myself in," she grumbled, lacing her withered fingers, "you brought me two kids, neither of which knowing who or what we fight against, purely based on their combat _'skills'_, and you expect me to just let them in. Is that correct?"

Alwen frowned, his face warping into one of exasperation, and ultimately assent. "I expect you to use them like you used me...but yes. That is correct."

Marco abruptly stood, peeved to no end at the conversation happening over his head. "I didn't come here to be _used_, and I certainly didn't come here for a job interview! We're here because-"

Duwen held up her hand and stared at Marco with contempt and impatience draped across her face. His audacity and his attitude had overstayed their welcome, and she was well and through with letting him speak so freely in her presence. "I know what it is that you two want- ..._need. _You desire our food, our shelter, a bed, money, information, _vengeance_! The same as every other wide-eyed child that enters this place."

She stood slowly as her bones creaked as loud as her chair, rising to meet Marcos glare with her own. "What _I _want are fighters who can operate under my orders, and hold their own in battle should it come to one. People who are smart enough to know why they fight, how to avoid the fight, and to not screw up my mission."

Star remained silent, watching this display with mild interest, but Marco was unmoved by Duwen's words. "We're _not._ Soldiers," he growled, folding his arms in a clear-as-day challenge.

Thankfully, Duwen was either too old or too wise to care for a young man's pride, and sat back down at her desk, sizing him and Star up for what felt like the fifth time. "I don't need you to be. I need skilled warriors that can circumvent the soldiers, and get a job done when asked. Are you two capable of that? Or should I rid myself of you both and take immense satisfaction in knowing that I am not limited to choosing only what I see before me now."

Marco didn't say a word, carefully calculating what he would offer or deny, but he never got the chance. Without prompt or warning, Star stood up from her chair and slammed both hands down on Duwens desk, the old wood groaning under the pressure and the boom echoing throughout the cave. But without anger or malice in her voice, all she had to say was, "We'll do whatever it takes. We'll fight for you, rob for you, kill for you, so long as help us with what we need in return. Just...please. Don't send us back out alone. Not out there…."

Marco, having wanted to negotiate terms, gather information, and find out more of what they would be doing, simply stared wide-eyed at his compatriot, too shocked to say anything. Whether she had just fucked them out of an option or got them exactly what they needed, purely out of fear or desperation? He would have to wait and see.

Duwen didn't answer right away, though. She looked from Stars intense blue eyes down to her hands, the girl's splayed palms resting on the desk with a spider web of cracks reaching out in every direction. The old woman's eyes were calculating, decisively choosing her options with care as she looked up to Alwen. He stood just as shocked as the boy, not much help there, so Duwen cleared her throat passively.

"I don't much care for either of you. But my son seems to believe you may have a latent use to us," she prompted, folding her hands and looking between the two of them, "so I will give you a chance to prove him right. You'll be assigned a simple, yet extremely important task. Fail, and you can find your way home in bags. Succeed, and you'll find yourselves a wonderful addition to our little family."

Without much deliberation, Star nodded at the simple proposition before turning to Marco. She was looking at him with curious, expecting eyes, as if she sought some form of approval from him, which of course, she was.

After a moment of thought, Marco sighed and nodded as well, unfolding his arms and gesturing for Duwen to continue. "Fuck it. What do you want?" He asked with all the enthusiasm of a corpse. Which, judging from how Alwen was glaring at him, that might have not been too far off.

"Alwen, take them to their rooms. In the morning I'll brief you on the finer details of the task, I'm sure you're familiar with it. And no entourage this time " Duwen spoke with cold authority, but no one in the room seemed to receive it that way. All eyes were on her, expectantly, before Alwen nodded himself and opened the worn door.

"As you wish, Mother. I'll see it done," he affirmed before adding in a sarcastic, mocking tone, "Come along now, children, it's bedtime."

"Go fuck yourself," Marco grumbled, leaving the office closely followed by Star. As Alwen rolled his eyes at the provocative return, making to leave as well, Duwen called out after him, "I _do _like the boy's spunk! He reminds me of you when you were more of a troublesome little scamp!"

After walking for a moment in silence-awkward, unsettling silence, Marco finally broke the quiet by asking, "so what exactly is this _'crown'_ you guys are fighting? Some kinda ruler? A powerful being that can travel through portals?"

Alwen lazily looked his way, a comical eyebrow raised in appraisal. "Are you joking? Or are you just ignorant."

Marco shrugged, answering with a challenging smile as he offered back, "What? We just got here, and the only interaction we've had with the locals other than some weird villagers, was you guys trying to rob-OOF!"

Star elbowed him again and flashed him an alarming, _'shut up'_ look, which was received with as much friendliness as the elbow she had given him. "What he _means_ to say is, we're new here, just recently moved to the area, so we don't know who or what '_the crown' _ is. Can you give us the short version?"

Not much caring for their story or the question particularly, Alwen slurred his speech into what could loosely be described as 'dummy talk'. "Bad government no good, rich family takes over. People stepped on, people rise up against family. Family slaughters thousands, you're fighting them with us."

Passing by the odd, captivating orange-colored room again, Marco nodded, struggling to keep his retorts and comments in check. "Sounds like a good old fashioned revolution."

"Of sorts, yes," Alwen noted, "the crown has seized control of every trade, business venture and city in the country, so you understand why we have to resort to petty theft to fund our rebellion."

That was all well and good, as far as Marco was concerned. He couldn't care less what sad state this place was in, much less what the people needed from him. He and Star needed, above all else, to find Hekapoo and get out of here before people noticed they were gone back home.

As hard as it was to think about, he still had a job, he still had bills to pay, no one else was going to keep his home running nowadays, so the sooner they got back, the better. But what he could also recognize was that while he didn't care, helping these people could be their best chance at gathering information. Maybe they knew Hekapoo, maybe they could take them to her, they might even help them fight her.

He didn't know exactly what state Star was in, much less what had happened to her, but he knew she needed _out_ just as much as he did. So for now, the name of the game was revolution, and reaping the rewards that came with it. But first? This job Duwen had offered.

"The old lady said you knew what we were doing tomorrow," Marco asked with a casual tone, "you wanna fill us in on that?"

Awlen shook his head and seemed to ignore the question until he finally mumbled, "I have no idea what she's talking about. Most likely, it's a hit, and it'll be over before mid day."

Before either of them could question if he meant a _hit_ hit, Alwen veered left down a four way junction, stopping at the first door in a long line of doors. They dotted the cavern walls or were tucked behind stalagmites, scattered in seemingly no specific order. There were a few women dotting the cavern, talking or training, or both, but the torchlight and clean-carving was impeccable. Far cleaner than the Cathedral's had been. "This is the female living area. You'll sleep here, girl."

"No," Star outright refused in no time at all, folding her arms and glaring past Alwen at the row of rooms, "I'm not sleeping alone."

Alwen cocked an eyebrow and turned to look down the same cave, noting the scatter of women going about their business and gesturing to them with growing impatience. "I see women all over the cavern, so you aren't alone," he offered with a touch of sarcasm, "now, seeing as you killed two of my men, I doubt that you're afraid of dark, girl."

Star furrowed her brow and glared steaming daggers at him. Whatever conceptions she had about him before were wiped clean and sufficiently replaced with gripping enmity. She took a step closer, her lack of height unnoticed as she growled, "I'm sharing. A room. With _him."_ She punctuated that demand with a sharp point at Marco, but Alwen didn't react.

He only leaned down to her level and frowned, his expression now void of any patience. "You sleep. With the rest of the women. There will be no pregnant warriors in this regiment, so _he _sleeps, with the rest of the men," he listed with a growl before narrowing his eyes, "_no. Exceptions."_

"WHAT?! EXCUSE-" Star screamed, lunging for him just as Marco got a hold of her, covering her mouth and desperately trying to calm the situation. Star was beyond furious by now, so dodging her wild punches, he managed to turn her just enough to catch her attention before calling out, "Star, let's talk for a sec. Please."

Thankfully, Star calmed down as quickly as her anger exploded, smoothing herself over and following Marco off to the side of the junction.

Marco gestured for Alwen to give him a moment, shooting him an apologetic glance that seemed to at least buy them a couple of minutes. Turning back to Star with more patience she had ever seen from him, he nodded and folded his arms. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly, holding her angry, distressed eyes, "you slept alone at my house, so I know you aren't afraid of the dark. Is this… about the village thing?"

Star looked to the side, back down the hallway they came. Her face was tight with restraint, but Marco noticed the fear that kept her from meeting his eyes and stepped a bit closer. He knew for sure now that something happened while he was gone, and by the second his pride in being right was rapidly replaced with guilt above anything else.

Keen to keep her attention, he added, "You don't have to talk about what happened yet, it's fine. But, we kinda have to work with him on this. It's a place to sleep, right?"

She nodded and turned back to face him. "I just don't want to be alone. Not yet. I don't trust these _people_, and I don't trust this _place_," she whispered, quickly shooting Alwen a glare for good measure.

Marco nodded, which was more than a little surprising for her, given how thin his patience could be at the best of times. "Alright, I totally get that. We can go sleep up above ground, we can set up a little camp like we had, if you feel better about that." He knelt a bit to be eye level with her, tossing a look behind him to make sure they were out of earshot. "But if you want to sleep in a _real_ bed tonight? Out of the cold and away from whatever happened? Star these guys have rules."

Alwen suddenly coalesced out of the aether, standing beside Marco and making both teens jump. In a low voice he offered, "if it bothers the two of you _this much_, I could make arrangements to-"

"It's fine," Star barked, her special glare meant just for Alwen burning just a touch less now, "I'll manage. Just...I don't wanna go back out there at night."

Marco glanced at her, more than worried now for what she may have seen or experienced, but he regretfully held his tongue as Alwen ushered Star to her own room. It was the first actually, closest to the junction and easily escapable should the need arise. "And where's his?" Star asked in front of her door.

"Uhhh, right there," came Alwens answer, jutting a thumb at the adjacent corridor, "he's the first room in the _Men's _living area." For good measure, he pointed at the first door on the other side of the cavern, ironically the door they had just been standing next to before gesturing for Marco to go.

Star watched them both jaunt over to the other side, a good thirty feet away, before quietly slipping into her own room. Now alone, Alwen folded his arms and nodded towards Marco's door. "I'll send for you in the morning after some preparations. Get rest, we'll eat, then we'll leave," he barked. A split second before Marco could ask, though, he added, "and _yes_, you'll get your information tomorrow."

"Alright then, night asshole," Marco grumbled, already slamming his door and locking it with a loud _chunk_.

Growling, Alwen turned on his heels and headed towards the Cathedral, muttering under his breath about kids being ungrateful, needy and problematic all at once.

Alone again, but this time by his own choice, Marco peeled his ear from the door, mocking alwen before finally taking in his very own corner of the world. _'Not bad, actually,'_ he thought, satisfied with even the cramped space. There was a pretty decent, _real_ bed, candles tucked into dugout alcoves, an empty weapon rack, and a matching chest for whatever belongings he kept hidden in his medical pack.

On a small wooden table tucked to the corner was by and far the best addition to the room: Food. There were roasted Jackalegs haunches, a piece of Duwens bread, some dried fruit, and by the blessed sun a flask of water! Without thinking, Marco had cleaned the plate and nearly drowned himself before he even knew what happened.

Satisfied, he slung the medpack onto the floor near the foot of his bed and collapsed into… '_stiff,'_ he sighed. After a moment spent trying to work out a soft spot to no avail, Marco gave up and relaxed in place, staring at the carved out ceiling.

His thoughts quickly moved to the events he should expect tomorrow, like whether or not he should be worried for his life, or if they were going to just run a handful of errands for these people. He'd almost prefer the latter of the two, given that it would leave plenty of time for hunting Hekapoo, but his pride wanted something real to do. Not just be a busboy for an old lady's club.

In all honesty, it would likely be worth it if the two could be trusted with something that paid well. But whether or not _they_ could be trusted was still up in the air, and if Star had anything to say about it, there was no way. And why _he_ was trusting them was a mystery in and of itself. He wanted to believe he was getting better, that he was losing the things that made him a 'bad person', but deep down he knew why he was taking the risk of joining the bandits. He was worried about Star, and he couldn't keep her afloat on his own.

Something had happened in that village, something bad enough to traumatize her like this. But whatever it might have been, he couldn't ask her outright. She helped him on the bridge, she brought light into his life, Star did what she could to save him.

And now,, the best way for Marco to help _her_, was to just be as available as possible, hopefully long enough for her to open up and let him in. That's what _she_ did, after all. She forced him to open up, to let her in and to let her fix what she saw was broken, but just like her, he had skeletons in his closet. Skeletons that wanted to come out and play.

"That's enough wallowing for today," Marco grumbled, standing up to blow out the dozen candles hiding in his walls. It wasn't until one was left and he was back in bed that he realized how tired he really was. Not to mention that he hadn't slept alone in his own room in days. He wanted to feel a little bad for Star, but given how comfortable his cot was becoming by the second, he couldn't….bring himself… to feel that….bad...

**O - O - O - O - O - O - O**

When Marco opened his eyes, he wasn't in that… wherever he was. He couldn't really remember actually, it was all kind of a blur of forests and rocks. Point being, where he lay _now_ was a strip of concrete, both cold to the touch and burning his skin at the same time. And what lay above was nothing but the most dazzling night sky he had ever seen, accented with a moon bright enough to rival any star out there.

He slowly sat upright, taking in his surroundings as familiar, but in a way that made his stomach turn. Marco found himself sitting on a bridge, over a narrow river that held the best view in the city. And to make things more interesting, he wasn't alone.

A girl, about the same age as him, stood at the edge of the bridge taking in the sights and enjoying the view. And for whatever reason, he felt compelled to do the same, so he did. Marco walked to the edge of the bridge and stood beside her, both of them looking down at the churning water below. _"You know, it's really nice to get to enjoy the bridge this time," _he found himself saying to her.

She didn't answer. Her blonde hair just continued to fray lazily in the wind as she stared out over the water. Marco nodded to himself, and decided that if he wanted the girl to talk, he had to be more personal, if that made sense.

_"I used to fish off of this bridge a lot when I was a kid, I'd just let the water carry my bobber to wherever the fish were hiding" _he noted, not looking to see if she heard, _"my dad took me all the time, back when he was alive."_

That got her attention, and this time she looked his way, if only for a fleeting second. Marco decided to count that as a small victory and rested his hands on the railing, trying to remember how many times he came here when he was a boy. _"My mom always promised us that if we brought home a fish, she would cook it for dinner and make a big meal out of it. Sides, fried food, fish tacos, you name it. She made it sound like heaven."_

He noticed as the pretty young woman nodded, but she still said nothing. Just gave him another quick glance, and turned back to the water, happy to enjoy the serenity. _"You can imagine her surprise when finally, I brought home a huge one! A whopping three inches of bass, just as promised!" _He looked at her just as she managed to let out a chuckle, an adorable little laugh that made his heart flutter.

Why he came here, what he wanted to do, none of it mattered except seeing her smile, especially when he noticed the drying trails of spent tears lining her tattooed cheeks. _"But man! Would you believe that she actually cooked it for us? Split right down the middle for my dad and I," _he remembered fondly, the smell of lemon pepper and burned fish still invading his nose, _"obviously we had Chinese for dinner that night, but that didn't stop my dad and I from hamming it up like mom had brought us a five star meal."_

Another adorable chuckle from her, and this time, she turned to him, her brilliant sapphire eyes sparkling as she asked, _"and did you eat the fish?"_

Marco grinned. _"Of course we did, mom promised to cook it, but told us it was our job to finish it. One bite of awful flavor later, I have a memory I'll never forget."_

Star smiled that smile that made him feel like he was home again, a warm grin meant to ease all of his pain effortlessly. _"I bet you miss them, huh?"_

A few seconds passed before he found the courage to answer, _"I do. But having you around makes me feel less alone, and I couldn't be happier…"_

It was a moment of bliss, the sky changing from a deap, night violet to a stunning amethyst in a heartbeat. Star leaned closer to him and pushed a stray strand of blonde behind her ear. _"Marco…."_

_"Yes?"_

_"Marco."_

He blinked several times, struggling to hear her right. Her voice sounded as if it was being drowned out by the water below, and it was getting louder.

_"MARCO!"_

She was disappearing, but he couldn't move. His limbs were like jelly, and that night sky was getting darker by the second. _"Please, just a few more seconds of this? I don't want to lose you too..."_ he asked, his voice filled with unrivaled calm, but it was to no avail. She kept slipping away, slowly ever further out of his rea- "Marco!"

Marco sat bolt upright in his bed, his chest heaving with spent breath. A whisper at his door, and a rapping against the wood alerted him that someone was outside. So picking up his shirt and sliding it on, Marco got up and marched to the door, throwing it open to find, _"Star?_"

"Can I come in?" She hissed, throwing rapid glances over her shoulder to the darkness of the cave beyond.

"Wha- Star, you're not supposed to- what are you doing here?" Marco hissed back, leaning out the threshold and seeing no one down either cavern. Star met his accusatory glare with a frown and folded her arms. "I just wanna talk, we're not doing the cob dance in bed or anything."

"The cob da- _what?_" Marco asked, still shaking off the last wisps of sleep that slipped through his fingers, "you couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

A deeper frown, only this one seemed far more shameful than the last had seemed annoyed. Under her breath, Star muttered simply, "I can't fall asleep. I keep seeing things."

That woke him up. Marco looked her up and down, finding her, like him, still in her day clothes, but looking far worse for wear. After a moment of deliberation, he threw another glance down the cavernous hallways before pulling Star into his room and shutting the door.

She sat on his bed and he sat on the floor, his back to the wall and that same single candle illuminating just enough to see. "What about you?" She asked.

Marco rested his head against the rocks and closed his eyes, trying to remember what he dreamed about, but all he could get was a bridge, a girl, and a tiny fish. "I fell asleep. Had some weird dreams, then you came around looking for trouble."

"I wasn't- ...you were- ..uugggh!" She groaned, glaring at the wall beside her, "I wanted to check on you. I don't like the way that old lady was sizing us up, and I don't think this place is safe."

"I know, Star, but I need you to trust me," he said, ignoring her kind regard for his well being, for now, "these guys might know about Hekapoo, or even better? How to get _home. _We find a guy with scissors like yours? We're golden."

Star nodded, but she didn't seem nearly as enthusiastic as two days ago, not even when talking about home. "She won't let us leave until we win. But…," she hesitated, glaring at the door for a moment as voices passed and quickly faded away, "But the more people, the better. So long as they don't kill us first. We can't afford to be careless just because we want free food and beds."

Marco raised an eyebrow at her out of curiosity, a look she immediately recognized as his, 'really?' look. She sighed and rested her head in her hand, slouching onto the bed carefully. "Don't look at me like that just because I sound like _you_ at the village."

She noticed his brow furrow, and she already knew what was coming. A gruff rant about something or other that she had to listen to, followed by a super cagey half explanation for his behavior. So, rather than deal with any of that, Star cut to the chase for his sake at least.

"I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you wanna hear from me right now?" She asked, not caring if she was being a bit loud. But Marco only tilted his head and asked softly, "what for? You didn't do anything-"

"I let you walk away," she cut in, meeting his brown eyes in the dark light of the candle, "I should have listened to you, and I didn't. You told me it was bad news, and I just ignored you, and I let you walk away. I learned my lesson, okay? I'm sorry."

She expected Marco to agree, the gloat or to lord it over her that yes, he was right. She was stupid and she should have listened, and that she would have to do a lot more than apologize to make up for- "You don't need to apologize, Star," he explained just above a whisper, cutting off her frantic thoughts.

"I knew something was up, and I still left you there. I should have stayed with you and made sure you were okay." She tensed, but he held up his hands defensively. "Not that you need me holding your hand, but I shoulda been there for you. So, _I'm sorry_ too."

After a moment of shared silence between them, it was Star who spoke first, nodding to herself. "It's okay. We just have to stick together from now on. Only trust each other, right?"

That question had dangerous implications, Marco was quick to notice, but after whatever she had been through, maybe she needed that reassurance. That he was still here, and they were stuck together. "Right," he breathed, slumping back against the wall, "don't trust anyone."

Star laid down on his bed, quickly entranced by the dim candlelight as Marco looked her way. "I want you to tell me what happened in that village, when you're ready I mean," he offered, earning a short nod.

"I will. Just… not done… running yet," were the last words she spoke. Marco figured she must have passed out, which was quite the turnaround from 'not being able to fall asleep', but, what the hell. He had been sleeping on the ground for a few days anyway, what was one more. Carefully, Marco stood and pulled the dingy wool blanket over her before taking his own place on the floor, using his worn hoodie at a pillow.

"Night, princess," he hummed, feeling his own sleep returning, a wash of bliss in a dark cave. He tried to ignore the drastic change he'd seen in his bubbly castaway partner, but… she was like a whole different person. And it terrified him, seeing how much she resembled his own behavior.

"Night… Marco," she breathed, just as the candle keeping the darkness of the room at bay, found the end of its wick.

* * *

"You can never be sure what someone might need. Silence, comfort, light, the dark, food, or even just some company when it's too lonely to see a way out. Every problem, every person, they all need something different, and it's hard to know what it might be. So when you don't know, just lend a hand. Be a shoulder. Everyone has a battle, and nobody should fight alone."

_~Mr. Ronald Reagan_


	6. Friendly Faces

**Fleeting**_** Moments**_

_Ch. 6_

_**Friendly Faces**_

* * *

_stiff_.

That was the first thought that came to Marco's mind as he drifted back into consciousness, his body immediately alerting him that his discomfort would not be ignored for a single second. A cold, hard surface beneath was the prime suspect, but sleeping in a rag doll pose could also have been the reason his body was so sore.

_Blank_.

That was the second thought that overtook the first, as Marco struggled to remember where he was, or what had been on his mind as he slept. It had been a while, but he quickly realized there were no dreams in his memory, just a blissful black, and then the aforementioned stiffness. That and of course, a tiny fish for whatever reason.

Deeming both of these thoughts less important than knowing where he was, or what events had gotten him here, Marco opened his eyes to the dim darkness of the room and found his immediate answer. He was in the 'bandits' cave, in his allotted room, and he was sleeping on the floor. That explained the stiffness of his back, but as to _why_ he was sleeping on the floor, that became quickly apparent when a loud snore echoed through the tiny room, drawing his attention to the sleeping woman four feet away from him.

He sat upright, slowly as to not jostle his tired muscles, and looked at Star, finding her in a mass of limbs among a wool blanket, profusely drooling onto what he then decided was _her_ pillow, not his. Out cold, she was oblivious to his derisive snort at her position and state, and remained asleep as he commented to himself, "So that's how royalty sleeps, huh?"

_**A**_s the ridiculousness of the idea that Star resembled anything closely related to royalty mulled around in his head, however, Marco quickly found himself staring at her a bit more closely. Her shirt was pulled lower than normal, and what caught his eye was nothing pervasive or offensive, but rather, a small pendant shaped like a butterfly, made of glimmering solid gold.

Before he could convince himself to look away out of modesty or reflect on the fact that carrying that solid gold pendant was a risk in and of itself, he found himself caught red handed when Star's eyes fluttered open, landing squarely on his. She must have noticed immediately that he was staring just below her neck, because after a quick self inspection she clambered upright and pulled up her shirt, shooting him an incredulous look.

Not wanting to be made a pervert, purely out of defense Marco muttered, "Sorry, I wasn't looking at anything, I just saw your necklace… I just woke up too."

She held her glare at him and narrowed her eyes in deep accusation. "If you saw my necklace, then you were looking at something, Marco," she mumbled, "am I not safe around _you _either?"

Marcos eyes widened just enough for her to see how seriously he took that statement, before she cracked a smile and broke into a fit of giggles. "Ohh my corn, your face is _priceless! _Hahaha, settle down, Marco, I'm just messing with you."

His face fell into disbelief and kept falling until it hit annoyance as Star continued to roll with laughter. He didn't find it nearly as funny, but he did find himself cracking a light grin at the sight of Star in such a good mood. A vast improvement from where she had been just last night, he noted. "Yeah, yeah whatever. Just keep your goods locked up, weirdo. _All_ of them."

She nodded as her laughter wilted down into a light chuckle, her face rosey with a blush. Marco stood and pulled his hoodie over his head, reluctant to find that it still smelled as bad as the day prior. "We should get ready. We have a big day today, and if things go as well as I hope…?"

The open-ended thought was caught by Star as she quickly answered, "we might even get to go home." Her tune was a little more optimistic than what it had been last night, though Marco could tell she wasn't quite as confident in the prospect as he was. Which wasn't to say _he _was overly confident in that happening either, but when you found yourself at the lowest possible wrung, the only thing you can do is climb.

He was about to suggest that they find a shower, or perhaps another river to bathe in when a knock sounded against the door in a quick rap, followed by Alwens suspiciously nervous voice. "Boy, open up. Your friend is missing from her chambers, have you seen any-"

Marco opened the door with as little regard for consequences as possible, shooting Alwen a quick nod before noting, "she's in here. Are we ready to get moving or what?"

_**L**_ike the calm before the storm, Alwen gave pause for only a moment, glancing between the two disheveled teenagers before drawing breath, likely to beret them to within an inch of their lives. But before he could utter a word with his index finger pointed, Star stepped up to the door and shot him a confident, shit-eating grin before asking coyly, "are we having some breakfast before we go? Because I'm just, _starving."_

No one said a word. Alwen merely tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow above his tight, vexed expression, his eyes darting back and forth in contemplative analysis. "Down. The _hall,"_ he spat through gritted teeth before asking, "And _why_, pray tell, is she _here?"_

His clear show of anger was, however, quickly and easily matched by Star's pleasant grin. Marco said nothing as Star gave a shrug and answered politely, "I go, where _he_ goes. Exceptions or not. That's just how it's gonna be."

Marco had been watching the exchange with more than his fair share of amusement, happy to see Star back to some semblance of her old self. He was ready to step in and save anyone from the trouble of a fight, when Alwen smoothed himself over, and turned his attention to the boy. "_Noted_," he growled, glaring as if it was by Marcos hand that Star was here and challenging him, "Come along, _children_. We have much to do, and not much time to do it."

It was a bit of a short walk down the cavernous hallways to what Alwen generously referred to as, 'The mess hall'. And when they arrived, Star and Marco were less than impressed with the dirty room and crowded wooden tables, but they were both far more eager to eat and leave than to complain. There were four rows of five round, wooden tables each made from a slice of a massive tree, and to the far end was a clanging stir of cooks and rustic cookware, the smell of surprisingly edible food permeating the room.

Immediately after pointing out the food and a quick suggestion to avoid the eggs, Alwen excused himself to meet with Duwen to discuss the mission, leaving the two to their devices. Star was the first to go, weaving through tables and people alike to get to the food, closely followed by Marco. Plates were, of course, slices of wood with rusty utensils on the side, but to their credit the drinks were served in glass, Alwen having mentioned something about resources being far better spent on gear and bribes than fine china.

A minute later, both Star and Marco were seated at a table with three others, both trying to keep their enthusiasm about the quality of food to a minimum. Marco noted as he ate that around the room, there were more types of these bandits than he had previously guessed, seeing warriors, smiths, reclusive people in robes, and well dressed 'commanders' alike eating at various tables. He was about to comment on the menagerie of classes when Star crunched loudly through an ear of corn, and began on her fourth.

"You're uhhh, not eating anything else?" He asked politely, pulling his attention from the hulking commandos two tables over, "you know they have meat and bread, right?"

Through a mouthful of corn, Star grinned and nodded, clearly thrilled at what she was eating already. "I shee that, bhut I haven't had corn in daysh," she remarked, "itsh our favret food on mooni."

_**W**_ondering how Star had gotten half as strong as she was on a diet consisting of mainly corn, Marco turned back to his pork, bread, and eggs, content with letting her be, rather than seeing another mouthful of chewed corn. The eggs were well and fine, the pork was astounding, and the bread, while a bit stale, was as good as anything he could get back home, so who cared anyway, right?

It was as this thought rolled through his mind that one of the largest of the other bandits at the table spoke up, a brutish man carrying a well-worn longsword and brandishing a scar over his left eye. He leaned forward as he chewed, his scar rippling along with his tightened jaw before he asked, "So where oh where did Alwen dig _you two_ up? Didn't think the lad much cared for fawns, when he has the Elder elk."

Before Marco could assess the words or the implications they carried, Star set down her half-eaten cob and grinned, asking in return, "Are those guys supposed to be your little club? Is your 'club' full of big old dudes like you?"

Without another word, Star stood slowly and swiped the dagger from a woman to her right. But she didn't use it or wield it with unhinged moxy. She simply held it upright, and proceeded to fold its blade until it resembled a W. "Because ever since I left home, I've noticed that I don't _like_ bullies."

"Do you _like_ breathing, girl?" The man quickly asked back, taking a bite of his bread and a sip from his cup, "talk is cheap when you can't draw a breath anymore."

Star stared at him, but was quickly pulled back into her seat by a collectedly calm Marco, the boy meeting the man's gaze. "Keep it to yourself, buddy. The last seven of your guys that wanted a fight? Got one."

Glaring at the both of them with equal parts malice and amusement, the big guy stood and leaned closer, his good eye narrowing. "You wanna take this outside, or do you two wanna do this here?" He growled, teeth stained yellow flashing behind a sneer, "you took out two of my guys, so I'm gonna enjoy it either way."

Initially, Marco had every intention of just ignoring the man and trying to get breakfast over with, so they could get their _job_ over with. But the moment Star rushed headlong into meeting the man's words with a heedless charge, he found himself caring less himself. "What _I_ want is to enjoy the morning in some peace and quiet, and do what I've been asked to do. But I kinda feel like you're not all about letting that happen."

Seconds ticked by and just when it seemed like the tension at the table was at its breaking point, Star glaring as she had been for the last day, and Marco staring in a challenging manner, the man cracked a smile. Through his stained teeth he laughed a guttural laugh and slammed his hands on the table before leaning forward to meet the two confused teens eyes. "_That_, is exactly the response I'd expect from two kids hand picked by Alwen himself. Color me impressed, cubs."

Both Marco and Star exchanged a wildly confused, and a little annoyed glance before turning back to the mountain of a man. "What?" Was all Marco could ask in his confused stupor, as Star went back to happily munching on fresh corn.

"If Alwen brought you two in and presented you to Lady Duwen the same day? I ain't gonna mess with 'em," the man noted before tearing off a chunk of bread and eating it, "Even if they turned one of my guys into a cripple."

"Partolus," a sudden, commanding voice sounded behind them, "I've already assumed responsibility for that. I led them into a situation we were wildly unprepared for, and they paid my price."

Turning around, Star and Marco found themselves looking up at Alwen himself, their superior choosing to continue his prolonged grimace at 'Partolus'. "Best to let them be, they have a very….busy day today, I'm afraid." Alwen sounded more than his fair share of dismayed at the prospect, but Partolus simply nodded and continued eating his fill.

"_**A**_ye, then. You owe me two fresh recruits. And I'm lookin at 'em," Partolus suggested, but Alwen shook his head, gesturing to Star and Marco that it was time to get moving. "I'm afraid not. They are, as of this moment, under Lady Duwen's direct supervision and order. Whether that's good or bad is entirely up to them."

"Two recruits then, Alwen," Partolus repeated as Marco stood and cleared his plate, Star tossing her many cobs away, "maybe ones that _don't_ die so easily?"

"Noted," Alwen found himself answering for the second time that morning. With far less grievance than the last, "come along_, children."_

Grumbling about being called a child, yet again, the two followed Alwen out of the Mess Hall and back down a winding string of caverns that led deeper into the cave. But what they quickly took notice to was just how miserably Alwen walked, his feet practically dragging against the stone.

"What's eating you, big fella?" Star asked with just a touch of smarm, more than happy to see him so clearly upset about something. But she quickly learned that it was at all of their expense why he was so miserable. "I cannot believe I'm saying this," he began with a groan, stopping just outside an iron-banded wooden door, "but you two are either very lucky, or very unlucky. We will soon see for ourselves."

The two exchanged a quick glance before Star asked, "Annnnd what exactly is that supposed to mean?" She watched as Alwen unlocked the massive wooden door and pulled it open slowly, his grimace not fading. "It _means_, girl, that we are going on a sort of intelligence mission. One I feel you may be unsuited for, in particular."

Before she could even scoff Alwen was already ducking into the room, gesturing for them to follow before he added, "It's somewhat of a fitting test to judge both the adequacy of your skills in combat, and the precision with which you can secure information on precious cargo without being detected or captured."

Not one to stand on ceremony or give Alwen the benefit of his confusion, Marco nodded quickly and followed into the torch-lit room. "Then let's hurry up and get moving. The sooner we help _you_, the sooner you can help _us,"_ he noted, stopping next to Alwen in the midst of a room that was, frankly, armed to the teeth. Weapons, armor, scrolls, potions, explosives, and rudimentary traps littered the shelves and aisles of the room they found themselves in.

"A sentiment I could not agree more with, boy," Alwen commented, taking a seat and pulling out a dusty scroll from the nearest stand, "the two of you, get suited and armed, and then we can mobilize."

"Copy that, _sir_," Marco stressed, moving to gather what he felt was necessary, closely followed by Star. She shot Alwen a piercing glare, one he met rather well, before she too began to assess and select her weapons and armament of choice. Discretion was key, right?

Ten minutes later, the two of them strolled down their respective aisles in style, their gear chosen to not only reflect their skills, but to enhance them in combat. They stopped in front of Alwen, trying to look menacing, the both of them, but a quiet cough into his hand wasn't the reaction they were expecting. "You two look ridiculous."

"Wha- bologna, you just hate how cool we look right now, because you _suck,"_ Star growled, her eyes narrowed in accusation, but Marco merely folded his arms and met Alwen's look. "Think of it this way, we look like idiots, so no one will think we're a threat. Couple of kids, just got our inheritance, so we bought some weapons and shit and now we think we own the place."

At this, after a moment of silence, Alwen actually managed a smile. "I find that prospect as stupid as it is brilliant. And, frankly that scares me a little. Let's see what you've got, then," he suggested, gesturing for them to present their chosen weapons so he could log it in the scroll.

It wasn't much, that far was clear, but Marco wore a studded leather set of torso armor, banded with two sheathes for daggers. His forearms were braced with tempered steel guards etched with twin inlays of rising suns, and hanging at his hips, ready for action were two rudimentary steel knuckles. He didn't much know how to swordfight or shoot arrows, but he could fight just fine, so punch first, slash questions later.

Star on the other hand was just a touch more overkill in her selection. Much like Marco she had a studded leather chest and shoulder combo, only she also sported a scaled skirt that hung into studded leather straps. She had happily chosen to adopt a set of steel hammers, both hanging at her waist, since her strength wouldn't do much good if she was punching metal. And of course, a bow and quiver across her back, should she find herself outside of closing distance. Oh, and Marco, in a shocking turn of events, had actually braided Star's hair into a far more manageable wide, loose braid. Why or how he knew, he wouldn't say.

"My, how you can make a prize horse out of even the lowest of donkeys," Alwen commented, earning an eyeroll frim Star and a polite, 'fuck you' from Marco. When all the paperwork was said and done, he led them to the entrance of the cave system, its massive, heavy mound door grinding open to reveal three horses already prepared and waiting. The morning itself was less than ideal, a fog having rolled in and made everything a bit dreary, but other than that, the air was cool, crisp, and fresher than anything in that cave.

"We're heading to a large settlement today, one that our scouts say is protected by a moderate regiment of soldiers," Alwen listed as he mounted his horse, gesturing for Star and Marco to do the same, "Your job is to get in, find our informant, collect his intel, and get out. All of this undetected, of course."

Marco nodded to that as he, with difficulty apparent to all those present, mounted his horse. Star mounted hers with far less difficulty and glared at Alwen with deep scrutiny. "You said something about precious cargo. An artifact or something. What is it you're looking for?"

After a short debate on whether he would even bother answering the question, and a quick thought on how _best_ to answer said question, Alwen shrugged. "My assessment? A religious artifact of sorts, but nonetheless something that could be used against the crown as a viable weapon."

"What kind of weapon?" Marco was quick to ask, now properly seated on his stead. His first, gut reaction was whether or not he could trust these people with a weapon that would be viable against a corrupt government. The second, however, was whether or not that same weapon could be used against Hekapoo, and bring them closer to home.

"Of that, I'm not sure," he answered with dismay, kicking his horse to a trot with the two quick to follow, "But Duwen seems to believe that it could turn the tide, and turn our little rebellion into a revolution."

With his horse swaying uncomfortably back and forth as it walked, Marco asked, "So, how are we getting in, who's the informant we're supposed to meet, and why are _we_ doing this if it's so important?"

"Because he knows we'll get it done?" Star asked, shooting a gloating glance Alwen's way. But the man in question ignored her, choosing to address Marco specifically with his response.

"Excellent questions, Boy. To answer two of these questions, you two have been chosen for this task because you are- bluntly, an unknown." Met with blank stares and quiet confusion, Alwen shook his head and continued, hoping to clarify only once this time. "You are both blank slates. You can walk among the soldiers without issue, and you can move about the settlement far easier than myself."

"Right, right," Star chimed, rolling her neck to overemphasize her boredom, or just to simply stick it to Alwen, "And who are we finding? Someone as bright and fun as you?"

Alwen turned back and glared at her.

"_**Y**_eah, I guess not?"

He rolled his eyes and turned to face forward, finding the girls comments worth less than the breath spent on them. '_God save me, they're going to be my death,'_ he muttered before turning to Marco, choosing to answer _him,_ if either of them. "The man you're meeting is a courier for the battery located on the north side of the city. You have to get in, find him, and secure the documents regarding the artifact's delivery."

"And how do-" Marco began, but his horse was practically hell-bent on bumping into Star's, eliciting a welcoming laugh from her at least. Marco found it far less endearing and pulled his horse away, only for it to bump right back next to hers like a magnet.

Deeming it a non issue at the moment he sighed with resignation and turned his attention back too Alwen. "And how do we know we can trust the…'courier'? He works for the crown, right? So how do we know we're not walking into a trap?"

"The short answer?" Came Alwens immediate response, his gaze turned lazily toward Marco and his brow cocked, "you don't. So, despite it not being either of your prerogatives, you're going to have to trust me."

Star looked to Marco and found him already staring, his eyes wider than usual in his silent appraisal. Truly, she didn't trust anyone in this dimension. Not anymore. Even trusting Marco was a gamble she had taken, so in her eyes, this very well _could_ be a trap. But on the other hand, she had Marco, as real as she silently begged him to be, and she knew that if it came down to it again, this time he'd be right by her side.

"Fine. How do we know who he is?" She finally answered, her tone less barbed than it had been all morning. Alwen nodded to himself and mulled over what he had been told earlier. Which was safe to say, alot. "You'll find the lead courier there, and give him a code phrase," he noted, slowing his horse to speak more stilled, and more directly, _"'I am lost in the darkness'_, or some variation of that, and if you have the right man he should answer, _'in the light I find my way.'"_

"Or some variation of that?" Marco finished, his expression both bored and exasperated at the same time. Alwen nodded, eliciting a groan from the boy. "Super original,' he scoffed, "and when we pass your little ninja test, then what?"

"And how come you guys trust us with something this big, even if we _are_ unknown?" Star interjected with more of her skeptical attitude poured on thick. Alwen pinched the bridge of his nose, but didn't give her the satisfaction of a direct address. "Because Lady Duwen thinks you can do it. Besides, if we didn't trust _you_, we'd have killed you in your sleep."

"Hence why _I_ sleep with _Marco_," Star quickly returned with a gloating smirk. Alwen, wisely said nothing to the jab before answering her earlier, far more patient question, Marco shooting Star a stare to chill out for the time being. She thankfully shrugged and nodded before Alwen spoke. "This is a test of both your loyalty, and yes, your skill. Your innocence is a tool to be used against troops that have never known you, and your inconspicuousness is an added bonus."

Marco and Star alike both nodded to that comforting prospect as Alwen regained his earlier speed, his eyes trained forward. "And in response to your question, boy," he continued with a patient somewhat curious tone, "when this is over, you may decide to stay with us and continue working against the forces that bind our revolt to little more than a cave, or you may decide to take what information and payment we can give you, and go your separate way. I have no quarrel with you leaving after a job well done, but if you succeed in all aspects, we may have further use for you."

"_**S**_ounds fine," Marco answered, finding little solace in the potential freedom to just ditch this whole outfit in lieu of what else was out there. Frankly, this was as much as test for him, as it was a test for the bandits. If the work was fine, justified, and got him what he wanted, he had no issue staying, and he was sure that Star felt the same way. So kicking his horse to catch up with Alwens, he noted simply, "Let's hurry up and get there then. The sooner we get to work, the sooner you can piss off to whatever you're doing on the side."

Star found that sentiment more than agreeable, but much to their immediate surprise, so did Alwen. "Indeed, Boy. While you two are off galavanting on this little quest, I plan on waiting in a tavern just south of town, enjoying a drink among other...pleasantries, until you return."

The two stared at him for a moment before exchanging looks, both of them showing clear surprise at both his reluctance to doing anything important, and his bluntness at doing so little. "So you're not even going into the city, then," Marco asked with barely-hidden disbelief.

To his further surprise, and far out of the norm for Alwens behavior, the man actually laughed at the notion and shook his head, chuckling to himself, "not on your life, boy. My face is known well amongst the ranks stationed in that settlement. I would only get you both captured, so you two are on your own."

Where Star found a good opportunity to throw Alwen one of her trademark glares, Marco surprised both of them by answering, "That's fine," with little qualm. It wasn't hard to accept; of course Alwen wouldn't be joining them on their little ninja mission. And it bore little thought that that would have even been a possibility. "Then we'll meet you there when we have the documents."

"Good choice," Alwen grunted, the three stopping at a fork in the road. The path to the right had seen far more traffic than the one on the left, and Alwen seemed perfectly positioned to avoid it. "Go North down that road, at least four hours. There you'll find Primrose, and on the north side of town you'll find the battery with the informant. From there, head south from the city's gates for an hour, and I'll be waiting at a small establishment named Grend's."

Star rolled her eyes one last time for good measure, spurring her horse to take off down the road to the right. Marco nodded to Alwen and steered his horse right before calling out," We'll see you soon. And you better hope this isn't a trap."

"I wouldn't dream of it, boy," Alwen responded cordially, "your lives are now a reflection of my own. If you fail, everything we have stood for is put in jeopardy. So, don't disappoint us." And with that, he went left, Marco taking off right after Star towards the biggest mistake of his young life. Or so he thought.

**O - O - O - O- O - O - O**

Four and a half hours of horseback later, down dusty roads and occasionally passing scattered travelers, Star and Marco found themselves cresting a hilltop that overlooked a valley leading to a bay. To the north was a towering mountain range capped with snow, the valley leading back into further ranges, and to the west lay the ocean, an aquamarine sea that shone all the magnificence of the sun.

And nestled in the bottom of the valley, half-resting in the bay itself, sat a city like something straight out of a video game. Its buildings were medieval, but in its center sat a spire of glass and iron helixing to a point, at least ten stories tall and the most prominent feature of the town. The harbor, a large portion of the town itself, was a buzz of ships and men all clambering to deliver and receive shipments of various sizes and shapes.

This, was Primrose.

It was a city bustling with life, and as they looked on down from their cliffside, Marco looked to Star and nodded towards the valley, a worried look draped across his face. "Last chance to back out," he murmured to her, her own gaze meeting his skepticism, "say the word, and we can leave. We go down there, we go down to finish this."

After a moment of quiet deliberation, Star ultimately found herself turning back toward the city, its walls and buildings and people both thrilling, and terrifying. So many people, all of whom she knew couldn't be trusted even in mortal danger. But, on the reverse side of it, it was a city. A stark contrast to what she and Marco had experienced since they had arrived. It was daunting and overwhelming at the same time. And she wondered how Marco could possibly keep his cool here.

But in that same thought, she _did_ have Marco this time. The one person she felt she could remotely trust in a world she had no experience in. So in light of everything she had to consider, she answered, "Let's do it."

He smiled, and for what she had once seen as fragile and weak, his smile now brought her a bit of comfort. Without a word, he turned his horse and the two began making their way down the winding path to the valley below, the cold wind picking up the lower they went.

It took only a few minutes of riding until they finally, under intense scrutiny, entered the city. The scrutiny was in part to one factor that neither of them had actually noticed from up on the cliff face: the soldiers. Troops were garrisons along the road in, at the gates, and dotted everywhere inside the city without discretion. It made Marco unbelievably uneasy, but he only managed to steal his nerves by remembering that they were completely innocent, and had no justifiable reason to fear the soldiers.

They wore largely polished steel armor, etched with golden, Victorian inlays. The elms made it difficult to tell them apart, like an Aged Scrolls V video game Marco had played, but the men and women had different armor sets. The women's slimmer, but every bit as protecting. Professional, consistent, and daunting all at once, the soldiers showed little to no emotion in any interaction entering the city, but Star and Marco both found it unnerving nonetheless, especially with their glimmering swords.

_**W**_hen they had finally passed the brunt of the cities forward troop occupation, entering the cities market space just to the east of the harbor, Marco pulled Star aside, eliciting a sudden gasp as they tried to look inconspicuous. Tossing nervous glances around at any passing garrisons, Marco asked in a hushed tone, "So what's our move here? This place is crawling with soldiers, and I kinda feel like we might be in a little over our heads."

Star looked over his shoulder at a few passing soldiers, what she could see of their hidden expressions giving off an air of impatience, and hunger. Like they were itching for this town to blow up so they could finally have something to do. It reminded her all too clearly of the knights on Mewni who hadn't seen combat in over a decade, and would pick fights with..._monsters_, just to fill their empty schedules. Without thinking, she rubbed the handles of her hammers before slowly turning her complex gaze back to Marco, and letting out a quiet breath.

"We don't know what this town's like, or anything about the people who live here. Not that it matters, but we should do a little reconnaissance. This place...it feels like a powder keg, and I don't wanna rush into something we aren't prepared for."

_**A**_fter a moment of deliberation, Marco finally nodded, looking down the road toward the market proper and shooting Star an assented nod. "Wanna go shopping?"

Her determined gaze fell into one of glum defeat, her hands mockingly patting the scaled armor of her skirt. "Dunno if you've been in a coma for the last few days, Marco," she noted with a somewhat sarcastic tone, "but we aren't exactly rolling in it right now. And you kinda need money to-"

"Not literally," he groaned, rolling his eyes and leaning past her to watch a passing group of soldiers, "but the best place to learn some shit, is when people think you wanna buy something. C'mon, I'll show you." And with that, he led her toward the market, the two of them doing their best to look as touristy as possible, ohhing and ahhing at even the most mundane things.

At the first stall they reached, some type of fruit stand selling produce and goods Marco scarcely recognized as even edible, he stopped at the counter and feigned interest in some orange gourds as Star watched. Picking at a particularly fresh specimen, he asked the merchant, "these bad boys in season?"

_**T**_he man behind the counter gruffly answered, "Always in season, sir. Finest fruits under her sun, you won't find a better batch of guntkins." The guy looked like your basic apron-clad salesman, so taking that response as a green light, Marco moved to lay it on heavy.

"I dunno. I saw some better guntkins down south a ways, and _those_ guntkins probably don't come with the same tax, do they?" Marco asked, cocking an inquisitive eyebrow, "You think you could give us a bit of info, since we're paying extra?"

Star facepalmed. _'Seriously, this is what he had in mind? No mind games or tactics, just straight up asking the guy-'_

"Yeah I can tell ya what you wanna know, minimums ten grutkins, and throw in two blanabas."

"Four gruntkins and a bunch of blanabas," Marco countered, fishing out a a few dinged coins Alwen had given them, "and you got yourself a deal."

Star, mouth agape and eyes narrowed in struggling comprehension, merely looked on as the seller stood there for a moment thinking it over, before ultimately nodding in assent. "Fuck it, kid. But keep it quick; I ain't a tour guide, and I got a business to run."

"Fine fine. I just wanna know a little about the troops stationed here," Marco noted, being casual and intentionally slow as he began to fill a bag with the haggled fruit, "we have a message for the northern battery, and we kinda have to keep it secret. You have any suggestions?"

"_Maybe don't tell the guy about the 'secret mission'?" _Star grumbled to Marco, elbowing him in the ribs, but the seller seemed to pay no heed to their display, moving quickly to accept the shody coin and get things over with. "North side of town, white building, lots of guards. You ain't one of em, you ain't getting in. Patrols are light by the docks, but the people are worse so take my advice with a grain of salt," the seller listed without so much as drawing a breath before adding, "and don't die. You idiots look like you're up to no good, but if you live, come back and buy more shit."

"Shit being the operative word, thanks," Marco noted, dropping his last silver coin on the counter and turning to leave, "you didn't see us, and we didn't talk to you." He left the bagged fruit on the counter and pulled Star along, the two quickly being lost in the sea of patrons and shoppers churning through the market.

When they were good and distanced, and well out of sight of the patrolling soldiers, Marco ducked into an alley with Star and leaned against the wall, shooting her a proud grin. "Easy shit. Now we plan step two, and hope it goes just as well as impromptu step one."

"Wha- excuse me but what the hell was that?" Star hissed, "now that guy knows we're super suspicious and probably up to no friggin good!" She expected Marco to concede her point and explain some form of misunderstanding, but he never even hesitated to shake it off with an eyeroll. "No, what he _knows_ is that _we know_ he can be paid for information. He wants money, and we need intel, so he won't say a word so long as we keep the coins rolling."

"And what happened to 'trust no one'?" Star continued to seeth, Marco finally taking notice to her stressed tone and tense body language. He gestured for her to slow down, inhaling and showing her to do the same. Eventually, she gave in and inhaled with him, holding it until he exhaled slowly, lowering his hands to do the same in a fashion he had deemed a 'slowdown moment', during their travels.

"That rule still stands," he finally affirmed, cooling her quenched nerves, if only slightly, "and we aren't trusting him. Just getting some info and paying him for it. Exchange is one thing, but trust is something I'm only giving to you."

She stared at him, the gravity of that sentiment not being lost on her, nor the sincerity with which it was given. Because in a world new to both of them, who else _could_ they really trust? "R-right, yeah," she muttered back, suddenly feeling the tension and weight leaving her shoulders, "I trust you too."

Marco crossed eyes with her for a moment, though what he was thinking was anyone's guess. He nodded his head toward the western side of town and asked, "so, what do you think? We heading through the harbor area? Or do you wanna try to sneak through town?"

Although the market proper was a busy place. Likely the busiest part of town, Star felt uneasy as a legion of soldiers marched by, barking indiscreet orders and passing commands as they went. She felt like a sore thumb, sticking out for anyone to notice, despite how calm and collected Marco was acting. "I uh…." She floundered, watching the legion go by, pushing people aside and dispatching troops left and right. "Let's go through the harbor," she decided, rubbing her hammers like they gave her some semblance of grounding in the city, "worst case scenario? We run into some bandits that _don't_ wanna employ us."

_**C**_asually, Marco actually laughed. And not even a little chuckle, and actual, bona-fide belly laugh. Frankly, it scared Star more than the soldiers, seeing him so jovial despite their situation. And that's when she realized, beyond the planning, the cooldowns, the wall-lean, the intel, all of that? He was just as nervous as she was, only he was better at hiding it, and better at finding peace in the storm.

"Alright then, Butterbutt, let's get moving," Marco called after her, already leaving the alley of their meeting, and her, behind.

"Stop calling me that!" She growled through gritted teeth, rushing to catch up with him, "it's undignified!"

Whether or not he heard her was anyone's guess, and before long the two were strolling through the market as if it were a sunny day in June, doing their best to look inconspicuous. The stalls they passed were little more than one-shot vendors looking to sell specificalities of any discretion, from fruit, seeds, spices, textiles, art, weapons, you name it. And in much the same fashion the people who were doing the selling looked every bit as mismatched, coming in all shapes and sizes, from all walks of life.

**_H_**owever, the larger, more luxurious stalls had sellers promoting bigger and better items, with fat or bejeweled clothes and bodies respectively. While the smaller, more under kept stalls boasted less ludicrous items and merchandise with far less lavishness to their owners. And of course, fitting in with everything else they had seen thus far, it was all seemingly medieval, though still colorful and clean.

"_**I**_s it like this on Mewni?" Marco asked, having to admit to himself that while this was his only extradimensional experience, it was odd that both this place and Star shared some similar qualities.

Star, on the other hand, noticed similarities in a far different light and aspect, watching a soldier shove past an older, poorer gentleman, and two more arguing with a seller over mishandled goods. They acted like these people were substandard to them, and it made her sick. "Yes...it is. But just, not for _my _people."

Marco followed her gaze to the soldiers harassing people in various areas of the market and found the sentiment all too easy to read. However, he still found the need to ask, "what do you mean, _your_ people?"

The question wasn't meant to sound oppressive, but Star's eyes widened, immediately taking his reaction to reflect the differences _they_ shared, such as skin tone or social class. And whether that was his intent, she still felt a need to cover her bases. "N-no, not like that, I don't mean like you and I are any different or… well- okay we are a little different, but that stuffs not what I-"

She found him staring at her with a deadpan look. "That's- I know what you meant Star. Your kingdom, your country, whatever. How's this place the same for _other_ people?" He stressed, hoping to help her relocate her point. Finally. Star smoothed herself over and inhaled sharply, exhaling after a moment to finally meet his eyes again.

"On Mewni, we have people like _me_, we're the Mewmans," Star listed earning a quick 'ookaaay?' from Marco before she continued. "And then we have monsters. And no, not like big, scary, ugly….well... okay, they're pretty big and scary looking, but they're people just the same."

Marco nodded as if he was following that much, the mental image of a squid with legs, or a werewolf crossing his mind. "On Mewni, while they walk, talk and act like we do- for the most part, Monsters are treated like animals, less than Mewman. They live in shanty villages, eat rotten food because they can't afford corn, and they can't enter our lands without guides."

"Sounds like a pretty shitty way to live," Marco noted, finally grasping the picture of inequality Star was painting, "if they're not so bad, I mean."

"They're not," Star affirmed with determination growing across her face, "and I hate that that's how my mother runs things. When _I'm_ Queen, if I survive this place, I'm gonna make sure no one on Mewni has to live like the Monsters do. They're Mewmans just as much as we are, and I'm gonna help them."

Marco received that sentiment well, looking back on both what he had witnessed of her personally, and the strength by which her virtues were executed. "I think you'll make a great Queen, then, Princess Star," he offered with succinct emphasis on her current title, before turning his expression down to stare at the dwindling market around them, "we used to have a problem like yours on Earth- we still do in some places. Treating people like...less than people, we mostly learned better, at least where I'm from, but we have a long way to go, and old habits die hard."

They were entering the harbor area now, both the smell of sea wrack and a growing presence of mildew filling their senses. The air was growing damp, and salt took precedence over dust as they wound down the steadily more vacant streets, Star asking Marco, "So, I never really asked but, who rules Earth? Don't they have a say in how people are treated? You're all mostly the same, so couldn't they just make everyone equal?"

Realizing he had never really explained Earth's system of rule or government, only giving Star the emphasis that there weren't fantastical creatures dotting the planet, Marco gave her questions careful consideration before answering. "I mean...no one person really rules it, it's kind of a lot of different….kingdoms? I guess?" He noted with skepticism and just a fair touch of distaste, "not everyone back home sees people that look different, as evenly as we do. And with so many different people in charge, it can be hard to get everyone on the same page of treating people equally."

"That sounds… really complicated," Star admitted reluctantly, the two passing by a few rowdy taverns and shops aimed towards the local sailing populace. She, in all honesty, didn't feel completely on board with the way Earth was run, finding a single ruling government far more organized and agreeable, and she took to wondering just how much inequality she had missed in her short time there. "I hope both of our homes can get better...if we make it back to see them," she admitted quietly.

Marco made to comment on both her reluctance at the prospect of getting home, and the clear divide between their ideals of government, when a commotion captured both of their attention from around the corner. A lot of yelling, smashing wood, and other profanities. He ushered Star against the wall behind him and set his jaw in focus, doing his best to listen in on what was happening just out of sight.

"What kind of fuckin idiots do you take us for?! You think we're blind or something?!" A man's voice, gruff but clear, and definitely more than a little pissed off about something, or at some_one_. Marco peeked around the corner, Star peeking just under him, and the two bore witness to an unsettling sight.

Two soldiers stood over another man, his old and withered body draped over a cracked barrel as his chest heaved with labored breath. The old man looked up at them through a drape of grey, clumped hair and answered hoarsely, "I...told you...I didn't-" *CRACK* The closest soldier delivered a powerful punch to the man's jaw, sending him to the ground with a smattering of fresh blood oozing from his lip.

"We've heard the lies already, so how about you give us THE TRUTH!" The soldier ordered, sending a heavy kick to his ribs as his comrade stood watch, "Who are you working with?! Who helped you steal the gold?! You lowlife, harbor scum think you can get away with stealing from the Crown?!"

As Star looked on in abject horror, Marco backed up and whispered to her, "let's keep moving," his face twisted with disgust and regret. "We have a mission, and we don't need the attention of getting involved." But whatever notion he hoped to use as a distraction to the event taking place was quickly drowned out as it got worse before Star's eyes.

The soldier dishing out the beating pulled the old man up and shot a powerful punch to his stomach before slugging him hard across the jaw, sending him to the ground. He then pulled at his hair to get his eyes open, asking again, "TELL ME! WHO HELPED YOU!?"

Through breaths as coarse as gravel, the old man sputtered blood from his nose and mouth, spitting the excess as he could. "P-...please...I would...never….steal…" was as far as he got, before the beating resumed.

Not wanting to watch the display any longer, Marco moved back and began to move around the alley opening, hoping to circumvent the soldiers just as Star dragged him back against the wall. She glared at him, nearly ordering his compliance as she gestured to the alley beside them. "We _have _to help him," she hissed, her eyes narrowing. "Come on."

Whatever mentality she entered the city with, whatever experiences she carried with her from the day prior, was washed away as the sounds around the corner got worse. She couldn't stand idly by and ignore the situation as well as Marco could, and every second that ticked by only served as a reminder of how the two had met in the first place: Star, listening to her gut, and stepping in to help someone who needed it.

Marco narrowed his eyes right back at her, moving to maintain their hidden position from the spectacle in the alleyway. "We don't _have _to do anything, except get what we came here for. _This_ is not our fight," he hissed right back.

But Star received that sentiment about as well as she accepted the reality that she could do nothing. She pushed Marco back against the wall and leaned in closer, her eyes burning into his. "Seriously?" She demanded with cold inquiry, "what was all that crap about equality and junk? Does _that_ look right to you?"

"_**N**_O! Please! Just let me-!" *CRACK* Marco winced as another punch was thrown, closing his eyes and turning a downcast look away from Star. Something she noticed was how aware he was trying _not _to be, of what was happening.

"I never said it was _right_," he returned, moving to match her glare and push off from the wall, "but we have something more important to do than getting fucked over because we wanted to help a possible thief!"

Star quickly met his glare with her own trademark glare before nodding slowly at his clear dismissal of her point of view. "Guess you only stick with me when it's _your_ decisions," she spat, drawing her hammers, much to Marco's horror, "well, I don't abandon people when they need my help."

She shot him one last spiteful look, both daring him and begging him to follow her lead _just once_, and to her surprise, it worked. He drew in a long breath, removing his tempered knuckles and gripping them tight, before releasing it with one cool blow. "When this bites us in the ass…," he never bothered finishing the sentiment, finding it better to let her imagination run wild.

Star nodded once, and stepped around the corner with Marco quick to follow, her hammers drawn and hanging at her sides.

"Hey! How about you leave him alone, and pick one someone your _own_ size?!" Star demanded, drawing the attention of everyone in the alley, save for Marco, who stood menacingly over her. The soldiers in question exchanged a quick, confused look before the apparent leader dropped the old man to the molded boards below, approaching Star with malice etched in his eyes.

"If you wanna keep your head and neck attached, _walk the other way, girl. _This doesn't concern you." The leader sounded just as controlled and collected as before, despite having beat the old man so severely. His helmet was up, so they could see his brilliant green, hateful eyes, but Star wasn't one to follow authority in the best of lights, much less in another dimension.

She flashed her dual hammers as Marco tightened his grip on his knuckles, the two of them taking a ready stance as Star barked, "I really think it does. So leave. Him. _Alone."_

The silence that followed was deadly, only interrupted by the distant calls of the gulls, and the crashing of the waves. As Star stared at the soldier, and the soldier stared back, slowly he lowered his helm until only his mouth and chin were visible, and drew his sword. "A pity, that such a pretty face went and got itself killed."

Without more provocation or warning, the soldier closest to them rushed for Star, the underestimated blonde raising her hammers to meet his advance with as much enthusiasm as always. As he readied his blade, however, she lunged forward and thrust the flat of her hammer outward and into the armor of his gut, doubling him over before she swiped for his head. But he was ready, and dodged it with ease, leaning back and leveling his blade for a charged thrust to her chest.

Star altered her stance to the side and leaned low as his blade sailed forward, first parrying its edge just off course before hooking the claw of her other hammer around the other side. She threw her weight into the soldiers midsection, and with a considerable amount of effort, pried his blade down to throw his weight over her body and into the ground.

Before the soldier had time to even grunt, Star used her hammers to snap the sword in two, flashing Marco a lopsided, maniacal grin before turning to the other armed soldier. "He's alllll yours Marco!" She shouted just barely out of breath as the soldier in question took to his feet, eying Marco carefully and drawing a new dagger. With as much warning as before he charged for him, sending mad slashes at any opening that could be found, but Marco wasn't new to this. His classes had covered knife defense, and he had everything he needed to keep this short and quiet.

Another wild slash for Marco's chest proved a mistake as the soldier found not skin, but a sideswipe of Marco's bracer, his blade hissing as it skated over the steel. The next thing the soldier knew, a powerful, steel-knuckled hook to his jaw sent him reeling back into a stack of crates, his advance all but shattered with his sword.

Star meanwhile was busy with her second soldier, this time a man of equal complexion as Marco, his helm still pulled up to show his face. He had his sword ready and looked to be making a move to thrust, but he never got the chance. Star was a blur, and before he knew what was happening, the wild lass practically threw one hammer into his gut, doubling him over, right into an uppercut with her _other_ hammer. The crunch against bone was loud, but Star was fresh out of quarter today, and grabbed her second hammer to continue her frenzy.

As the soldier reeled and growled in pain, she wasted no time in sending another swipe to the man's helmet, this time her attack parried by a hair's breadth. He made for a wild slash that Star ducked low under, and this time she wouldn't miss, shooting an elbow right into his midsection before following with a double hammer uppercut. After the crack of bone, this time the man didn't get back up.

Marco however, was having more difficulty than his companion, finding his soldier just a tad bit more experienced in close combat. The man flipped his blade and made for a downward hook cut, which Marco barely had time to catch against his bracer. Steel sung, and seeing an opening, Marco sent a heavy kick to the soldier's gut, keeping the distance nominal. But just as fast as it was lengthened, Marco closed the gap and fired a barrage of jackhammer punches to the man's gut, his knuckles ringing against the armor like a chorus of bells.

The rapid hits seemed to keep the soldiers from attacking, shifting his focus instead to blocking his abdomen as Marco seized the opportunity to move up. A sudden left hook to the soldiers temple threw him back a step, but he just came right back up, dagger ready, and itching for more.

He charged back at Marco with a slash towards his neck, seeking to end the boy as he was catching his breath, but that proved to be another heavy mistake. Marco dodged, regaining his footing, then dodged another swipe as he fired two more jabs at the man's ribs. Then, Marco blocked a furious slash with his bracer and quickly twisted his wrist, disarming the soldier, before a wild kick was sent at the boys side. Marco let go of the wrist, diverted the kick into a stomp with his elbow, and as the soldier was left kneeling, Marco kept the momentum and twisted, rocketing a backwards heel kick that knocked the soldier out cold.

Star had watched the entire exchange with vested interest, silently admiring the calm coordination Marco could display even in the midst of a fight. His facial expression never swayed from bleak, and his motions were always calculated and direct. Never a wasted strike. But now, with both soldiers out cold for the count, she moved to attend to the fruit of her labor, Marco reluctantly moving to do the same.

The old man was still bleeding, clutching both his ribs and his jaw as Star approached, her expression one of nurturing care. "You're safe now, sir. They're not gonna hurt you any-" before she could finish the thought, the old man looked up at her with wild, terrified eyes, backing up against the pile of bloodied barrels to keep his distance. "You- you attacked the Crowned soldiers!" He shouted, scurrying to press himself against the wall, as far as possible as his voice rose.

Star took a quick step back, carefully inching closer and back again like a child afraid to touch a hot pan, a mortified look on her face. "No-no-no wait! We were just trying to-"

"**_G_**OD! TRAITORS! HELP! SOMEONE COME QUICK! TRAITORS THEY-" was all the old man got to say before Marco rushed in, delivering an unknuckled blow to his temple, knocking the old man out cold in a slump.

Immediately, Star turned her horrified look to Marco as he stepped back, rubbing his wrist and shaking his head. "Wha- you couldn't just-" she stumbled, looking down at the old man and then back to Marco, "you couldn't just push a pressure point or something?! Put him to sleep?" His reaction was less than subtle, opting to roll his eyes and begin gathering the unconscious men against the wall, and out of sight.

"You knocked out your soldier, this is honestly safer," Marco grumbled, checking the old man for anything incriminating, "besides, that's a load of bullshit. You can't just pinch someone and they fall asleep. You want him quiet, we gotta knock him out." And with that, he turned back to his work, checking the soldiers for goods and documents.

Star started to protest, but quickly realized that rather than barret her for choosing to pick the fight against his recommendations, Marco was quietly attending to the men, making sure they were comfortable and safe from view. Again, she messed up and had nearly gotten them caught, and he wasn't going to say a word about it.

Before she could say anything about their position, Marco threw one of the soldiers helmets at her and she found him staring with a more than pleased grin on his face. One she quickly came to not enjoy in any facet of imagination. "Bullshit aside, he began with a chuckle, inspecting the two male soldiers and taking a helmet for himself, "how much do you know about Joan of Arc?"

* * *

_"When you find yourself in a dark place, surrounded only by those that see you as a tool, or a stepping stone, who can you truly call a friend? I'll tell you, it's not someone who follows your every move, agrees with every word, or even sees every decision the same way. A friend will push you to be better, challenge your every move, question every word, and reflect your ideals through a mirror of their own. And while a friend isn't your opposition, it is through their challenge that you become better, and with their company that you learn."_

_~Mr. Ronald Reagan_

**_~H_**


	7. Great Escape

**_Fleeting Moments_**

_Ch. 7_

**_Great Escape_**

* * *

"I can't help it, dammit! This guy's suit is squeezing my boo-"

"_**S**_hhh! _STAR_, remember, you're supposed to be a _guy_," Marco hissed, though in his alarmed reaction he didn't move an inch, the two of them maintaining a mock post just outside the harbor, "so stop complaining about the armor, and keep your voice down!"

From under her two-sizes-too-big helmet, Star bit the inside of her cheek, furious to have to stand so still and so discreet despite how uncomfortable she was. Even with her hair tied into a tight bun and draped down her back as out of sight as possible, it still felt as though her head was both in a vice, and ready to lose its cap. In much the same fashion, her uniform was tight in all the wrong places, squeezing her chest and rear, and too loose in others, hanging limply at her arms and around her shoes.

MARCO, on the other hand, looked as comfortable as a mosquito at a blood bank, whatever that was. His armor fit him perfectly, and if she was being honest, made him look rather dashing. Despite the fact that she could only see his chin and mouth, she could still see his stoic grimace underneath the helmet, and for what it was worth, it took her mind off of her discomfort. At least, for a moment.

"Alright, coast is clear, " Marco whispered, peeling himself from the wall and taking to a slow, controlled gait as Star struggled to walk beside him. It wasn't that it was impossible, or even difficult to match his stride, but her discomfort with every facet of her clothes was dominating her attention. She didn't even hear Marco talk until she sensed the question in his words, asking quietly, "waywut?"

_**H**_e struggled to fight the urge to facepalm, and instead stressed his words more carefully, not wanting to draw attention to himself. They were walking through the busy market again, and they couldn't afford to look suspicious, so he whispered again, his voice a halcyon breeze. "I know it sucks, but just suffer through for a bit longer, okay?"

"Easy for you to say, you're not wearing girls clothes and masquerading as a-" Marco elbowed her in the side in a fashion meant to look accidental, and before she could slug him back, she noticed why. Two soldiers were walking past them, and they were staring with deadly calculation.

But that calculation was quickly mitigated as Marco gave them a forward nod, his grimace withstanding the motion. Star watched carefully for any sign of further suspicion, but like clockwork they nodded back, and turned towards their intended direction without provocation. She exhaled before she even realized she was holding her breath, and was surprised to hear Marco do the same.

In truth, he was every bit as relieved as she was. The idea that such a hair brained scheme as playing dress-up on a secret mission was actually working, was more than its fair share of crazy.

When he had first pitched the idea to Star in that back alley in the docks, she had looked at him like _he_ was crazy. _"Like hell I'm dressing up in that assholes clothes!" _She roared, calling the very idea ludicrous and undignified. And yet, here she was, the perfect example of why cross-dressing only works in Dinsey movies.

Now as they walked through the market, slowly approaching the northern sector of the city, Marco began to understand the dynamic between 'soldier', and civilian. Where he stepped, the citizens moved to avoid him. Where Star stumbled, crowds parted and people shoved each other to make way. He'd be lying to say it didn't feel just the tiniest bit gratifying, people both giving him space and avoiding personal contact, but he knew that was a personal preference.

From what he could see of Star's hidden face, she looked positively miserable in those clothes, both due to the size, and the stigma the town was giving her for them. So to help take her mind off it, he nudged her arm and whispered, "We're almost there alright? Just keep walking straight and-"

"_I know how to walk Marco!" _She screamed in a whisper, barely audible to even him, "just point the way so we can get this garbage _over with_!"

He couldn't help but smile, mocking her stiff walk and hobbling his arms as she did. When she glared at him for his dark sense of humor at her expense, he only smiled wider, whispering, "sorry, sorry. It's just, you're walking like ya got a stick up your ass, you know?"

A sudden, jarring slug to his arm drew the eyes of every civilian within twenty feet, as Star glared daggers up at him through her helmet. "What the _hell _did you just-" she started to rant, but Marco abruptly pulled her back into their usual alley routine, hiding from the prying, curious eyes around them.

"Star," Marco breathed, lifting up the visor of his helmet to meet her eyes, despite not being able to see them. His expression was calm, if a little annoyed, and even if only slightly, it did help Star gather herself enough to listen. "Calm. Down. It's just playing dress-up until we get into the battery. I _know_ it sucks, but, I don't wanna go alone and I know you don't either. So...just be cool, and breathe okay?"

Despite not really being able to see her eyes, he could tell she was glaring at him. Whatever discomfort she was expressing, however, quickly melted as she found herself slowly enraptured by his cacao brown eyes. Reluctantly, she nodded, muttering under her breath, "you _so_-ho-ho owe me for this."

"Remember when you were rambling and nervous that first night on Earth?" Marco asked, pulling his visor back down and checking to see if the coast was clear, "I kinda miss that. You think you could be quiet, friendly Star again?"

"Dunno, can you be broody, shirtless Marco in the river again?" She answered without thinking, immediately diving headfirst into a blush and covering her mouth. Thankfully, Marco didn't seem to hear, shaking his head silently before slowly exiting the alley, continuing their slow, methodical walk towards the North End, and the battery.

Of course, he _did_ hear that not so polite sentiment just as her voice was being drowned out, but given how much Star was dealing with as it was, he decided to leave it be. Besides, they had made it to their objective, and it was time to cover their bases.

_**E**_ven in a different dimension, Star noted the architectural design of the battery resembled nothing close to Mewman design, it had a plethora of columns and imposing marble, with a mix of steel supports where the stonework wouldn't suffice. Marco, to his credit, both thought the building bore distinct resemblance to the national treasury back home, but also wondered for what reason the steel supports that ran in tandem with the columns were for, if not ornamental.

But that could wait for another vacation. For now, he leaned closer to Star's struggling form and whispered, "Do you remember our alibi? Last chance to go over it." And as he gave Star a sideways glance through his helmet. He noted a sudden burst of confidence in her demeanor, her stride shifting to a more uniform step.

"As a matter of fact, I do," she answered softly, her eyes trained forward as they approached their quarry. "We got ambushed by the rebels a few hours south, in the Southern Territories. We lost most of our regiment, and our boss guy sent us to ask for supplies and troops. Hence, why we need to talk to the courier."

"Fucking, _perfect_," Marco breathed, a considerable weight taken off of his shoulders at Star's surprising consistency with the plan, "just keep your cool, and we totally have this." And in truth, he whole-heartedly believed that.

The sun was just barely over head, a little past noon as best Marco could figure, as they approached the main entrance to the battery. Why it was called the battery, when it had no significant offensive weapons, was anyone's guess, but all the same, the entrance stood as imposing as anything else they'd seen thus far. Between the center columns was hidden a door; made of dark oak at least a foot thick, and banded with heavy strands of iron bolted in place. And stationed between the open doors, were two soldiers, halberds standing ready.

When the two approached them, the soldiers quickly crossed their halberds, the apparent senior member inclined his head skeptically at Star. "Why are you two not at your posts? And what happened to your uniforms?" He asked, his voice young, but stern and commanding all the same.

Marco took to answering the question himself, gesturing to the dents on his abdomen and helmet. "We're not actually stationed in Primrose. We're from a separate, southern detachment," he explained with feigned impatience, before his voice took on a sudden sense of pride, "we were sent here to deliver an urgent message from our superior."

Finally, after a moment of silent deliberation, the soldiers relaxed, the one closest to Star taking out a sheet of parchment and scribbling down entry notes. But the other, the one talking to Marco, folded his arms with his halberd leaning on his side. "Not as urgent as looking presentable, huh? The hell happened to _you_ guys?"

Sensing they had to wait for the quiet one to finish his notes, Star took to answering, using a deep, mock male voice. "Bandits," she answered gravely, shaking her head in disgust, "We were ambushed in the woods, and we lost over half of our unit before we managed to drive them off."

Marco noticed an immediate, hateful change in the demeanor of the two soldiers, the one clearly in charge taking to spitting on the ground. "Sounds more like those pigs in the rebellion, if you ask me," he muttered, his face giving off the impression of a hidden glare, "hope you took just as many as they did, brothers."

This was taking too long, Marco internally seethed. How many notes the other guy was scribbling down, or what purpose they would serve later was anyone's guess, but they couldn't risk standing around for so long, even with a good alibi. But, as always, Star took the reins of the conversation and steered it in a matter she deemed necessary. Slapping the handle of her left hammer with pride, she flashed a wicked smile and answered, "yeah, we did. Must've taken out at least twenty of em. They never stood a chance."

Marco wanted so badly to facepalm, or at the very least smack her helmet off of her head, but thankfully, the soldier actually laughed at the report! "Ha! That's what I'm talking about, those scumbags can never get it bad enough!" he shouted, laughing through his words with sadistic joy.

Finally, the second soldier rolled up his parchment and tucked it back into his armor, resuming his position of guarding the entrance. "Alright, your entry has been logged. You may enter," he muttered, a slight tinge of boredom in his voice. Marco breathed a sigh of relief and motioned for Star to follow, the two of them bypassing the guards with a polite nod.

"Oh, hey!" One of the soldiers called after them, when they had only made it about five steps into the building. Marco froze up, and Star followed suit before the two of them slowly turned around, finding the quiet soldier approaching. When he was within arms reach, and Marco was sure they were screwed, he glanced between them before whispering a warning. "By the way, inform your commanding officer to be on the lookout."

Star and Marco exchanged an uneasy glance, Marco asking politely, "on the lookout for what?" All pretenses aside, he was actually interested in hearing about potential enemy movements, or any information for that matter. But the soldier came not with formalities or orders, but a warning. "One of the top brass says that there's a creature out in the Southern woods, and it's been classified as highly dangerous."

As if a cold wind had blown through the room, Marco could practically _feel_ Star tense up beside him, the incognito blonde clenching her fists in barely restrained anger. "What _kind_ of creature?" She growled, her voice taking a deep tone all on its own. There was every possibility the creature that the soldier knew about, was one she had become closely familiar with. But she had to be sure.

"A woman, or so she looks" the soldier replied bluntly, as if he didn't even believe it himself, "strong enough to take out an entire unit, and capable of transforming into a winged beast with six arms."

Marco tensed, realizing the fantastical creature he was talking about, was the girl standing beside him, anything but harmless. He wanted to brush it off, but rather than waste the opportunity for good intel, he kept his tongue and listened.

Star, on the other hand, realized one of two things immediately. That the man, who's name she didn't even want to think about, who had done unspeakable things, was more than likely in kahoots with the soldiers. For them to know about her transformation, and her state prior to it, only the magician she had the displeasure of fighting could have told them. Which brought her to the next issue: the army was looking for her.

"_**I**_ don't buy it," she suddenly chuckled, sure to keep her voice deep, "sounds like a load of corn ass to me, but I'll be sure to relay the order."

The tone in which she said it caught Marco's attention especially, her voice icy, and void of any _real_ emotion. The soldier seemed to have taken it as just common obedience to his request, and politely nodded before returning to his post. But Marco didn't move. Star was scowling under her helmet, and her body language was oozing with tension.

"Are you good?" He asked quietly, the two of them turning to make their way further into the installation, "what was that about?" But Star answered by merely clenching her fists to keep from grabbing her hammers. "It's not important. Let's just...get this over with," she growled under her breath, "being here makes my skin crawl."

_**S**_lowly, Marco nodded with grim acceptance to her determined scowl, finding little reason to argue. But in the safety of his thought, he knew well and fully that the two of them were due for a talk when they got back. Whatever it was that happened that night, whatever damage it had done to her, it couldn't wait much longer.

But without much time to consider either of their immediate futures, they found themselves in a bit of a spot. Neither knew where the courier was located in the battery, so Marco, quick to think on his feet as he flashed Star a cunning grin, asked softly, "you wanna see me kiss some ass?" Hoping it would lighten her mood, he even blew a kiss and held his rear, to which she thankfully smiled.

"Maybe… What uh… what do you have in mind?" She asked back, folding her arms and shooting him an invested smirk. Marco only gave her a wink before turning on his heels, and approaching the most well dressed man in the lobby. A gentleman in a shimmering suit of silver armor, draped with tassels and medals and stripes galore, was talking to a subordinate as Marco slowly approached.

"Commander," he offered, dropping to a knee and holding a clenched fist to his chest, "If I may trouble your exaltedness for but a moment?"

Star said nothing, hoping to watch and enjoy the show at Marco's expense as the commander turned around, glaring at the kneeling man before him. After giving his uniform the once-over, the snidely little man spat, "your uniform. Is _detestable. _Say what you must and be on your way!"

Rising, Marco nodded and tried his best to look rueful and weak, asking quietly, "my commander, sir, could you assist this lowly rank in finding the Couriers office? I regretfully have to deliver a message from the Southern Territories, and I'm afraid I don't know who to give it to."

A few seconds of careful, tactical consideration on the officers part rolled by before he shook his head in disgust. "As heavily as I'd like to reprimand you for your uniform, I suppose it cannot be helped from you Southern ranks, what with your location down in the sticks," he spat, turning just enough to jutt a hand down an out-of-view corridor of polished marble. "You'll find the couriers office on the first level, near the rear of the installation."

Marco forced a grateful smile, his eyes widening with mock delight. "Oh! Thank you sir! We'll be sure to-" he began, but one held palm from the commander was all it took to shut him up. "On. Your. _Way,_ soldiers," the commander ordered, Marco deciding it was best to do as he was told. Carefully, he held his fist to his chest and bowed, the commander returning with little more than a nod before the young man moved to leave.

When he met back up with Star, however, her reception to him was far better than the commanders. Underneath her helmet she wore a plastered, lopsided grin that screamed, _'I'm trying so hard not to laugh right now_.' With a choked breath, and more than a few little snorts, she finally managed to ask, "what was that weird salute thing?"

Marco was more than happy to see her in a better mood after her unfortunate exchange with the guards, and answered cordially. "Back home, it's a thing knights do in movies and on shows. Figured it looked cool enough," he admitted before inclined his head in her direction, "did you enjoy _my_ show?"

As they made their way down the smaller, less grand corridor, Star had to confide in him, "I honestly kinda did. I was usually on the receiving end of shows like that though, what with diplomats, accords, and the occasional courter."

Marco couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, despite the fact that she couldn't see it. "Courters? For you? You must be joking," he chuckled, but a quick slug to the chest told him plenty that she was in fact, very serious.

"Y'know, I _have_ dated before, dork," she grumbled, her immaculate mood all but deflated, "If nothing else, my family has a lot of money, so yeah. Courters, jackass."

Despite the barbed tone of her words, she was surprised to hear Marco chuckle at the prospect before quickly holding up his hands in defense. "Sorry, sorry, haha it's not that I don't believe you, but for me, the idea of courting someone is just so….weird."

"What, you never dated someone before?" She asked, the two turning down a hall, "or have you always been broody, single, and stuck with me?"

Where she expected another chuckle, this time Marco didn't react at all. Like he was both taken back by the question, and carefully considering how he would answer it. Star waited patiently, to her credit, because as the seconds ticked by, her interest was growing all the same. But when he answered, she kinda wished she hadn't asked.

"I dated a girl before, yeah. Jackie Lynn Thomas, but a year ago, I was going through some...stuff, so we called it off, and I haven't seen her since. But that doesn't mean dating and courting are anything alike," he noted with a curiously optimistic, informative tone, "I'm not royalty, so if I wanna date, or _court_ someone, it's just hanging out with them, or eating with them, maybe playing some video games when I'm not working, and _maybe_, down the road, sleeping with them. It's very complicated Earth stuff, I assure you."

"Psh, must not be _that_ complicated," Star scoffed, rounding another corner towards the rear of the building. "I mean you and I have slept together every night since we got here, so I doubt it's that important."

_Silence_.

She turned to look at him to ask what gives with the stoic act, but found him giving her his best, '_are you serious'_ face from under his mask. To her credit, it didn't take very long to shift her view to understand what he was asking, and to reevaluate what he had implied. Immediately, her face lit up scarlet beneath her helmet and she began furiously stumbling for an explanation or excuse.

But thank the gods, Marco was quick to come to the rescue in a less than helpful way. He held a finger to his lips, imitated locking his mouth, and mimed tossing the key away as they stopped just outside the door. Or rather, a set of double, wooden, banded iron doors etched with silver inlays of the title, 'Grand Courier to The Crown."

"I guess this is it, then," Marco breathed, immediately breaking his mocked vow of silence. Star looked his way as he asked, "are you ready? You know there's no going back now." Her answer came in the form of a curt nod, one he was quick to return before the two of them opened their own door, and stepped inside.

Closing the doors behind them, they were immediately stopped by the sight of a room unlike anything they had seen in this dimension thus far. The room itself was approximately the same size as a small gymnasium, and filled almost exclusively with shelves, like a royal library. And every shelf was a crisscross of cubicles and slots, all filled to the brim with scrolls, letters, documents, requests, orders, even packages.

But the thing that made it stand out wasn't the swarm of correspondence that filled the room to the brim, but rather, it was that half of said correspondence was currently fluttering through the air. It was a buzz of documents and scrolls in a whirlwind of paper, folders flying from shelves and letters landing in to fill the spaces. And at the center of it all, was a single old man at a round desk, his hands outstretched.

_**S**_tar, when she finally managed to pry her eyes from the spectacle in the air, noticed the old man was staring at the space above him, his eyes ghostly white to match his frenzied, windblown hair. His outstretched hands wavered and moved with careful control, likely directing the course the parcels and papers took, until finally his soft, soothing voice sounded over the rustling.

"Is there something I can do for you gentlemen?" He asked, though his tone expressed an air of distaste for their presence, "or do you intend to waste both of our time for the remainder of the day?"

Star, for a moment given her most recent conversation, forgot she was due to be disguised as a man, and coughed into her hand before answering, "Y-yes, w-we have to report on our southern unit? And uh...make an official request...to the crown?"

Marco struggled not to facepalm, but the room continued to turn as though Star hadn't even spoken at all. The old man in the center stayed quiet for a moment, his expression notably blank, before he let a tired breath hiss through his teeth. "I've received no such notaries that a unit was acting in the Southern Territories," he grumbled in annoyance, stealing a quick look at the two before adding, "and I don't forget such details easily."

Marco swallowed, recognizing the silent pass of the reins from Star to himself. But he didn't falter as the man in the center of the room continued his maelstrom of paperwork. Instead, he doubled down and approached the desk. "We _are_ from the Southern Territories, but uh…" he glanced at Star for a moment before exhaling sharply. "We got a little lost..._in the darkness"_

_**L**_ike a shot had rang out through the room, every single scroll, every paper, every package, they froze in place, and the room took on a deadly silence. The old man didn't move a muscle, his hands outstretched towards the levitating boxes as Star and Marco held their breath. Marco especially felt as though he might have just gotten them both killed, Star already planning an escape route, when the old man lowered his arms and began to approach.

To both of their immediate relief, the man smiled, his eyes returning to normal as the cloud of work above him began to organize itself into slots and shelves. "That is _quite_ a shame, gentlemen," he offered, much to Star's secret annoyance, "you should _always_ travel in the light, _to find your way_."

"Ohhh thank corn," Star breathed, though she kept her deeper voice act up, "Do you have the-" Marco nudged her to keep her quiet, shooting the man a wary glance. He wasn't sure if he fully trusted him yet, or even if they could be trusted in turn, so he decided to play it safe. "Do you know Duwen?" Was all he asked.

And much to his relief, the old man responded in kind, his posture shifting to one of blissful remembrance. "Of course I do, she's one of the most ill tempered old bats I have ever met," he breathed, Marco narrowing his eyes, "But by God, that woman is the best damn leader I've ever followed. My name is Helwen, and she is my wife."

Marco finally let himself relax, despite the fact that that bit of information would have been helpful to know before they left. But, given that so far his most common interactions with the bandit leaders had shown their relation, he wasn't as surprised as he should have been.

"I'm frankly surprised you two showed up dressed as those good for nothing reprobates," Helwen continued gesturing for the two to sit in front of his desk, much like Duwen had, "You men have gumption to hide among the wolves like that."

_**I**_n a sudden, flourishing motion, Star made a show of pulling up her visor, revealing her face, and covertly annoyed expression. "Yeah, _we do_," she growled, but there was added intent that Helwen could read wasn't meant for him. Poor girl had probably been in that armor all morning, and from the look of it, it hadn't been comfortable.

"My apologies, young miss. It would appear that your disguise was good enough to fool even me, well done," he noted, Star lowering her visor once more to resume the torture. Marco on the other hand leaned forward, careful to keep his voice low. "Do you uh...have a package for us? Or a message?" He asked, and to his further relief Helwen nodded.

"As it just so happens, I do," he answered with a smile. Helwen flipped his hand to the air, and a subtle gust of wind carried a scroll from a far off shelf directly to the desk. "I have a shippers manifest listed from the Grand Monastery in the east, for a delivery to be made to the Crown's castle in the north."

Not wanting to waste time, Marco quickly unrolled the scroll, finding a map that he could barely recognize marked with trade routes. It listed a mountaintop location far beyond the valley to the east, and traced a line further north to a great plateau. "This is...this is great," Marco noted, unable to take his eyes off the invaluable information, "thank you, Helwen. We uhhh...don't really have anything for you, but-"

"Nonsense. Whatever helps in spurring the rebellion to rid the land of its shackles, I am happy to give."

_**S**_tar, for what it was worth, found some semblance of comfort in that, even if it was miniscule. Twice now her trust in others in that dimension had been tested, and broken. So while she may not have trusted him in a situation of dire importance, she at the very least trusted that he had good intentions. "Thank you, Helwen," she muttered, not using her deeper voice this time, "we...appreciate your courage, and what you're doing for us."

"It is my pleasure," the old man answered with a wave of his hand, thankfully without sending papers careening, "I'm equally grateful to the lengths at which you both have gone thus far. But...I'm afraid this meeting comes with grave tidings all the same."

Marco and Star exchanged a quick, unsteady glance, one that Hewlen recognized as some form of confusion from underneath their helmets, and decided to elaborate further for their sake. "The package you're after? Its importance is justified, as are the means at which you're going to intercept it, but, it is far more dangerous than anything we could have ever imagined."

**"**What do you mean?" Star asked, cocking a hidden eyebrow and leaning closer, "isn't it some kind of religious thing?"

Marco felt the air in the room darken at this sudden turn of conversation, and decided to cut straight to the point. With more than a tinge of skepticism in his voice, he asked, "what are a bunch of monks in a monastery doing with a dangerous artifact? Alwen mentioned it might be some kind of weapon, but, it can't be that bad right?"

As the air in the room had shifted before, it would shift again in a worsening spiral as Helwen shook his head, silently debating what 'too much said' entailed. But ultimately, he decided that these two were trustworthy enough and deserved intel likely meant exclusively for Duwen. "The scholars in that monastery have kept it safe for eons, keeping it from view, buried deep in their mountain," he began gravely, leaning forward, "the artifact you're intercepting, it's a cleaver. And the sacred texts were- allegedly -all true."

Marco and Star alike donned a confused, nervous expression, both exchanging a short glance before Marco leaned closer, now thoroughly invested. "Does it like, make someone stronger? Can you use magic with it like-" he began, but Star kicked him from under the table. Silence was golden, apparently.

"Is it even actually a weapon?" She asked, ignoring Marcos glare. In much the same way, Helwen ignored their little display and shook his head, but ultimately differed to a shrug. "In a way, yes? It's an ordinary cleaver all the same, but… it has power unlike anything else in the world. It can _open portals_ to strange new worlds, and even bring things _back_ from these places."

Both Marco and Star froze. Neither of them said a word as Helwen looked at them expectantly, and underneath their helmets, both sets of eyes were as wide as dinner plates. It became quickly apparent that in that room, for that moment, silence was dominant, and the future had just become a wild factor for them both. "That's…." Marco's words died in his throat, completely unable to form a coherent thought.

"I share the both of your horrors," Helwen finally took to noting, given the continued silence, "and I hope the gravity of this mission is not lost on-"

"We need to leave. _Now_," Marco muttered, mostly to Star, to which he was given a resounding nod from the blonde in question. And though neither of them would admit it, they were both reeling from the idea that this might actually be the real deal. Their prayers might have actually been answered, so If nothing else, they needed that cleaver _now_.

To his sudden outburst, Helwen gave Marco a confused look, but nonetheless agreed, answering, "yes, I suppose we have sat long enough." He stood carefully as Marco tucked the scroll into his uniform, and began to resume his position at the center of the room. "Do tell Duwen to send more of her blanaba bread through the mail, would you?" He asked, mostly to Star, "I always get it, and I'll be sure to send her something nice in return."

"Uhh...y-yeah, sure thing," Star replied with half-hearted enthusiasm, already moving to follow Marco towards the door, "good luck on your end, Helwen. And thanks again."

"You as well, young lady. You as well."

After their sudden and jarring exit from the room, Star practically dragged Marco down the hallway to an obscure little nook, the two of them pressed out of view to discuss what they had just heard. "Did you hear what he just said?!" Star whispered, startling Marco with her enthusiasm, "Marco! This might be our ticket home! They have a dimensional cleaver!"

"I know, Star!" He fired back, his voice significantly lower as he gestured for her to match it, "but let's not get our hopes up, we have to _get it_ first, and even then it might just be some religious nuts getting high in the mountain and spouting nonsense, you know?"

"I know, I know, but Marco! This could be our chance! If we can get it and sneak home, I can go to Mewni and have my mom deal with Hekapoo." Star was grinning but Marco seemed vividly confused by that statement.

"Are you sure your mom would help us?" He asked, giving her a worried look, as though he was walking on eggshells, "she did kinda throw you to Earth, so like, how is this place any different for her?"

Star's crazed grin fell into a frown, her annoyance made clear. But whether it was at Marco, the question, or the subject matter of her mother, was anyone's guess. "There's kind of a big difference between Earth, and a place where everything is trying to kill me, especially when I don't have my wand," she growled, "my mom would kill Hekapoo for taking the wand away like that, and assaulting a bystander like you."

"Hey, it was an even exchange," Marco was quick to rebuke, but Star shook her head just as fast. "No, no it wasn't. You got creamed, and when we get home I'll make it up to you. But Marco! We have a _way_ home!"

Finally, as though her enthusiasm had gotten through his thick skull, Marco cracked a smile to match hers. It was warm, seeing his lifted expression, and Star almost found it intoxicating. "Alright, then. Step 'whatever' of this plan is to get back to the bandits. We tell them everything, and we help them get their artifact _provided_ they let us use it once to go home, or Mewni, or wherever that isn't here."

"You sure we can trust them with this?" Star asked, peeking around the corner to make sure the coast was still clear. Marco found himself shrugging, unsure of the answer himself. Frankly, no, they could not be trusted, not with something this important to both the world, and their own personal goals. But on the other hand, their chances of robbing the Crown or whomever of their precious artifact were significantly slimmer if they weren't bringing backup. So, after some deliberation, Marco answered "No. But we're going to need their help anyways"

Star found that prospect as truthful as it was agreeable, and nodded before ushering Marco back into the hallway. As they began the slow, uncomfortable walk back to the front gate, she found herself thinking out loud, "Whatever it takes, I just wanna get out of this place."

Marco couldn't help but chuckle as they entered the lobby, whispering, "I know how you feel. Can't wait to get back to-" he stopped, finding a troublesome obstacle in their way. A huge crowd of soldiers had gathered in the central area of the lobby, and for the moment, their exit was blocked. The purpose for said gathering of soldiers, was unclear, but given how they were all surrounding one area, their backs turned, Marco figured something, or some_one_, important had arrived.

"We may have to find another exit," he whispered to Star, nudging her arm to turn their path down another hallway, "what do you think? We could probably climb out a window if we…" his words trailed off as he chanced a glance in her direction. She had slowed down considerably, and her attention wasn't on anything he had just said. She stood cold still, and her scowl was oozing with malice as Marco followed her hidden glare.

_**T**_he center of the mass of bodies, the object of everyone's apparent attention, stood mister local celebrity himself: one of those weirdo, four-armed villagers they had met. Of course, Marco was quick to note that the attire of this villager in particular was far beyond anything he had seen. The man's armor was immaculate and matched the commanding officers from earlier, only this guy seemed to have some affiliation for bones. A string of them hung loosely around his neck, but no one seemed to really care.

He must have been one of the big brass the guard had mentioned earlier, which Marco couldn't help but wonder how one of those villagers had gotten such a prestigious position. Perhaps he was a victim of circumstance and found himself enlisted in the army ranks, and as Marco made to ask if maybe Star knew anything about it, he finally realized she was gone.

He did a double take, looking around frantically. She had just been walking beside him how could she have just- "I told you to _SHUT UP AND __**DIE!" **_A woman yelled, and Marco nearly fainted.

It was Star. And she was currently charging the four-armed guy at full force, hammers drawn, and helmet thrown to the side. As it clanged noisily to the ground, no one even noticed. Every set of eyes was on the woman in men's armor, who had every intention and expression of killing the man in charge.

Meanwhile, Marco was the only person in the room not rushing to either get out of the way, or defend the man with four arms. In truth, he was actually debating the pros and cons of giving himself up and stopping her, something he was sure he would feel guilty about later. But he never got the chance to act on his decision. In the few seconds since she had charged, Star had dispatched twelve men without slowing down, and was closing on her big thirteen.

The man in question stared at her, but there wasn't an ounce of fear or anger in his eyes. Rather, it was a gaze of unearthly fixation, like he was trying to remember her and sniff out her weaknesses at the same time. But like Marco, he wouldn't be given the chance to act on his findings. With a mighty yell that shook the hall, Star brought both of her hammers down hard on Zaleeth, the wizard from the woods.

The impact was like something out of a movie, and though before the hammers fell Marco had been holding his breath, the shockwave that followed nearly knocked the wind out of him. He had hoped to wait for the initial chaos of a loose cannon Star to erupt, allowing for a daring escape, but the blast that ensued from her strike knocked him clear off of his feet, along with everyone else in the room.

Everyone, except for Zaleeth. The concussive force of Star's strike shattered every window in the lobby of the Battery, and sent a web of cracks shooting through the marble like veins. Electricity arced from the point of impact and carved ruts into the polished stone, but Zaleeth stood unfazed. Each of his four arms were outstretched with his hands splayed open, cradling the four corners of a prismatic field of energy, its shape changing like a tesseract to hold back the force it had been dealt.

"I thought I smelled a _rat,"_ Zaleeth chuckled, dismissing his shield as Star landed just before him, "Or at the very least, an insect." Without warning, he sent forward two open palms into Star's gut, the impact dealing a shockwave rivaling the one he had just deflected. She was sent hurtling across the lobby with a skull-shaking *_**BOOM**_* before she collided with a column, her body cracking the stone with its impact. Marco rushed to her side as she fell, but she was unresponsive, her eyes dazed and far away.

"It would appear that you just _couldn't_ stay away, girl," he chided, now approaching the two with delighted interest, "A fortunate twist of fate, actually. Your magic will keep me fed for centuries, just as I was beginning to run dry."

"C'mon c'mon!" Marco seethed, desperately trying to shake Star awake, but it was no use, her head lulled to the side as she mumbled something about corn. Zaleeth kept up his advance at a healthy stroll past disoriented and confused troops as Marco weighed his options, and ultimately came to a final conclusion. With a grunt, remembering just how heavy Star was, he threw her over his shoulder and trucked it, making a dash for the front door with every ounce of strength he had.

"Hahahahaa, running will do you no good boy!" Zaleeth called after him, a heavy grin plastered across his face, "I will not make the mistake of letting you slip through-"

"FUCK YOURSELF!" Marco screamed, grabbing the nearest oil lamp from the wall and chucking it at the double doored entry. When the glass hit the marble, the oil spread quickly to ignite into a fireball that Marco barely had time to burst through. Flames overtook the lobby, several soldiers far less fortunate than the boy were burning, and for the second time that girl was leaving. But Zaleeth only answered with a discontented sigh.

"Very well, then," was all he grumbled, more than a little peeved to see the game end so soon. He inhaled sharply from the nose, clasping his hands together before him as the room seemed to dim, before opening his hands like massive bellows. In no time at all, the flames, oil, smoke, everything from Marco's escape were all sucked to a ball between Zaleeths palms, and only then did he allow a smile.

"Let's make this _fun_," he whispered, before slamming his hands together and forcing the churning orange and black ball forward. Like a bullet it screamed across the lobby and when it struck the doors, it blasted them apart with all the force of a bundle of T.N.T., sending stone, men, and other debris clattering down the now empty street. But the children were nowhere in sight.

No, Marco was already tearing his soles in a mad sprint several blocks away. Weaving through pedestrians and various customers of the markets, his first thought was to ditch the armor and get back into something more breathable and less recognizable. But before he could do that, he needed to get out of sight, and out of danger, if that were even possible.

He pushed a man aside, desperate to evade the forces churning through the masses behind him, but the question most prominent on his mind, was _'who the hell was that?'_

Another woman pushed to the side, dropping a basket of beads and jewelry, but he never slowed down. And it was after rounding a corner towards a slightly less populated street that he felt Star finally stir from her jarred daze, the blonde struggling to look around. "Whahappenned?" Was all she mumbled, pushing up to get a better view of the passing street in the afternoon sun.

"Who _was that guy?!"_ Marco almost screamed at her from over his shoulder, his feet pounding against the street. Star shook off the last fading thrums of her dazed state, before locking eyes with a squad of troops massing just up the street where they had turned. Immediately she began to slap against Marco's back, screaming just as loud, "I'll tell you later! Just keep running!"

"I _AM_ running?!" Marco yelled back just as the cities alarm bells began to chime, like a sequence of church bells that wouldn't stop. "Why did you attack that guy?! You just fucked this whole thing up for-"

"Marco!" Star interrupted before dragging his top half into an alley he had almost missed, the two tumbling head over heels into a pile of trash and discarded building supplies. But there was no time to rest. Star quickly pulled Marco deeper into the pile of refuse just as a few soldiers ran by, one of them stopping for only a moment to look before nodding off and regrouping.

The two waited there for a minute, listening with bated breath. As the troop's footsteps quickly began to fade, Marco rose from the litter and pulled Star to her feet, making sure they were both unharmed and steady. After a quick inspection, he drew breath to really lay into Star for her recklessness when she winced, pressing her eyes shut. "I'm sorry! I saw him and I-I-I just lost control," she explained, her face twisted in shame.

Marco, of course, noticed her withering expression immediately, but felt that in light of what he had just witnessed, he needed a bit more to go on than that. Another squad of soldiers charged past the end of the alley, but none stayed long enough to notice, so in a lower, calmer voice Marco asked, "Who _is_ that guy? Is he…" he lowered himself into a squat to look up at her, "is he from the village?"

If her unease on the topic wasn't apparent before, given her outburst in the Battery, the man's strange reaction to her, and her secrecy of that night, it was now. Marco took quick notice of the way she glared past him at the ground, and the way she looked about ready to have a breakdown, and quickly he waved it off. She was nearly hyperventilating at this point, so he pulled her chin to meet his eyes; a necessary, if unwarranted contact. "Hey, look at me," he offered gently, which seemed to grasp her attention, "it doesn't matter. We can talk about that night later, but for now, we gotta get out of this shit show and back to Alwen. Can you walk?"

Her eyes darted around for a moment, weighing the gravity of his words before ultimately, she nodded. "Good, then let's get this gravy train rolling, yeah?" Another nod, and she seemed to be snapping out it, much to his relief. Marco moved to take a look around the corner at the opposite end of the alley, and deeming the coast to be clear of soldiers, he shot her a nod back. The two made a mad dash out of the alley and towards the docks, weaving through pedestrians with very little regard for conspicuousness.

No sooner than they had ditched the alley, however, an explosion ripped the two buildings to little more than stones and burnt wood with a deafening boom. As the debris fell and the smoke began to clear, Zaleeth merely stepped over the rubble, inhaling deeply with lidded, unfocused eyes. "I can smell her magic...its… _**purity**__,_" he whispered before promptly turning to the closest soldiers. "FIND THEM NOW!" he roared, "Do what you must with the boy, but bring the girl to _me,_ _unharmed!"_

A handful of the soldiers traded confused, worried glances but nonetheless did as they were told, trudging off to give the orders and search the city. But Zaleeth, he stayed behind, opting to look over the now since cleared landscape with vexed interest. "Oh the consequences of this will be dire, but with a prize such as you, my dear, no price is too high."

Without warning, Zaleeth grabbed the only remaining soldier with all four of his arms, two restraining the man's hands and the other two pressed firmly against the soldiers temples. Oh how the man began his poor, vain screams, but Zaleeth had grown to enjoy them, and ignore them. "Prevenk dunost zak promethas," he whispered, and just as quickly as they had begun, the man's screams stopped forever.

A few minutes later, both Star and Marco had quickly, privately changed back into their clothes, having retrieved their spare belongings, and were running from shadowed crevice to alleyway, desperate not to be seen. But the running was beginning to take its toll on them, and as Marcos lungs and ribs were burning, he managed to choke out, "We gotta make...a run for it. We get...to the gate, we get… our horses, and we ride until… we drop."

Star's run, on the other hand, was a little more wobbled and haphazard, something Marco had noticed soon after they began. She must have still been recovering from the hit she took, as he still was from Hekapoo, so he slowed his pace slightly to make it a little easier for her to keep up. "Whatever...gets us out of here… faster!" She called back, though he could tell she was just as exhausted as him

Marco nodded at her strength to keep moving and found that if she was still raring, then he would match it in kind. "The fastest route… is through the market...so you're gonna have to book it!" She was quick to agree, and with little provocation followed Marco in a quick pivot towards the busiest part of the city they had seen thus far. Crowds of people were still in the market with the gates to the city looming in the distance, and while Marco worried if they might be shut in at any moment, their chances were already looking better.

They were shoving past bystanders and shoppers alike, however, when a cry rang out over the encroaching chaos, a soldier from the sound of it. "Stop at once! You can't escape!" He called after them, but Marco had to disagree, given that escape was literally within sight. So he ignored the calls for as long as he could, before a sudden hand ripped him back, narrowly avoiding the swing of a sword meant for his head.

The steel blade whizzed through the now empty air as Star gripped Marcos collar, but they weren't out of the woods yet. The soldier who had done the swinging was unlike any they had seen, his eyes empty sockets and black smoke churning from his mouth as he stumbled closer in sporadic, jerky movements.

"_Killlll….meeeeee_," was all he said before Star sized her moment and swung her hammer, sending the puppet flying with a boom.

But given no time to recover, the soldier jerked himself back upright before Marco had even returned to his feet, and two more, equally grotesque men were rapidly approaching. "Move!" Marco yelled, not bothering to waste a second analyzing the men as he pushed Star forward into a run.

"_Fooouunnndd…..theeeeemmmmm."_

Ignoring the ominous, hissing words of the men around them Marco forced himself to keep moving, but they couldn't outrun everyone. Two soldiers stepped to blow their bath, and while both were easily dispatched by a swinging kick and a blow from Star's hammer, more would still come, and there was no telling when the gate would close. Pedestrians everywhere in the market were screaming and panicking now, and shoving past them wasn't as viable an option as it had been.

And to make matters worse, they weren't alone.

"YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM ME, GIRL! THIS CITY, THESE PEOPLE, THIS LAND? IT IS ALLLL **MIIINE!"** Zaleeth roared from far behind them. He watched as the two brats ran, but his anger would fuel far more than a trivial chase. He spread two of his hands with noticeable effort, and everyone who stood between him and his prize was swept to the side by an invisible force. Then, slamming down his two free hands, he shouted, "Nektor luzath ren wantu ravolpa!"

Immediately after he finished his spell, the ground, every inch between him and those two brats began to shake, before a hairline crack formed, chasing them. It held for a few more seconds before the shaking proved too much, and the entire street split open to reveal a bottomless chasm fast approaching Star and Marco. The former of which felt the shaking and saw the approaching ravine, and without warning shoved Marco to the side, scurrying to jump after him.

But with the ground splitting faster than she could jump, it gave way beneath her, prepared to swallow her to its inky blackness. Or it would have, had Marco not grabbed her and pulled her up, the two wasting no time for exchanges as Star yelled, "keep running!" Like he needed to be told that.

"Back towards the harbor!" Marco cried out as another shake rattled the city, the two expecting another cavern to open beneath them, "it'll be harder for him to use magic when he doesn't have a clear line of sight!"

Star weighed her options, the two of them being either to head back to the relative safety of the harbor, or keep running and face… "Yep, harbor it is!" She replied with a nod.

Meanwhile, Zaleeth stood at the base of his two ravines, surprised to find that even _his_ strength was being tested, and all they were doing was running! It was detestable! Obviously, he could have captured them both if he were so inclined, but he had orders to not kill subjects of the crown without reason, and despite the several citizens that had fallen into the pit… no, surely it wouldn't matter. Once he had _her_.

One of the soldiers by his side gave the four armed wizard a curious, if a little terrified glance, as if to ask if all of this was really necessary. How little he knew. "The lives of those subjects are but trivial sacrifices, so long as I have the girl!" He snapped, flexing his hands to keep from using more than his words, "Do whatever it takes to keep them in this city, or it's _your life._"

Sure that anything that came out of Zaleeth's mouth was more than a hollow threat, the soldier simply nodded vigorously before turning to a passing garrison. "Seal the city!" He called out, hands cupped and eyes wide, "activate the Barrier!"

"You think we lost him?" Star asked, scrambling down yet another alley before exiting into a street of already screaming people. "Why would you ask me something like that?" Was all he grumbled back, the two desperately trying to hide amongst the churning masses. Star gave him a shrug and made to answer just as a small group of soldiers began to make their way towards them through the crowd, their faces twisted in anger.

"And I guess...here we go again," Marco sighed. His legs were on fire, and the wounds he had sustained against Hekapoo were still fresh enough to ache. So in all, he didn't know how much more of this he could manage. He wasn't used to this, the running and the fighting at the same time, hell, his job was cleaning a gym, what did he even know about escaping this kind of situation.

But just as he was out of his element and put through the ringer, Star was equally off-put to the prospect of continued combat. Her mother would never have allowed this kind of conduct, much less her barbaric methods to subdue the enemy without magic. And yet, like Marco, though neither would even admit it to themselves, this just _felt_ right. Fighting back against forces that stood for absolute control and subjugation. So in light of the encroaching enemy, they readied themselves for yet another fight for their escape.

But that fight would never come. As both Star and Marco braced themselves against the approaching troops, the entire city began to shake violently, and the sound of screeching metal filled everyone's ears like the roar of a dragon. Everyone present in the market turned to look at the source of the noise, and before either of the two could ask what it was, they got their answer.

The massive, towering structure in the center of the city, a spiral of metal bands framing glass like a stalagmite, began to spin. Or rather, the metal helix began to spin, and the glass it shielded began to glow a brilliant aquamarine as the noise grew, and the shaking worsened. It was a reverberating thrum that finally overtook the screeching, and it steadily grew faster as the noise faded, the helix spinning at impossible speeds around the glass.

Both Star and Marco were dumbfounded, too awestruck to say anything when suddenly, the tip of the tower glowed white-hot, and fired a solid beam of cyan light toward the heavens. But it didn't get far, the beam apparently hitting some invisible force and splitting apart like the arms of an umbrella into twelve separate, smaller streaks of light. They all arced over the city outward from the center until they hit the ground just outside the city walls, a deafening boom rattling windows and unsettling dust.

But just as it seemed to be dying down, the beams all began to glow brighter until like frost on the edges of a window, a thin membrane of blue light crept to fill the space between the lights. The massive act was too fast for any reaction, but before Star and Marco could even discuss what was happening, the creeping barriers all met, forming a dome of pulsating light that surrounded the city, and shielded everything but the sunlight.

"Are you _fucking_ serious?" Marco muttered under his breath after a long moment of dumbfounded shock, "what the hell is this?" The answer came not from Star, but a woman to his left, her withered face falling to sullen dismay.

"It's the Barrier," she answered softly to them both, "nothing comes in, nothing goes out. We're stuck here until they shut it down." Marco took a moment to absorb that grim prospect, weighing just how absolute their entrapment was, when Star grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to the side, the two leaving the woman to her business. The other marketgoers had taken to continue shuffling as though nothing had changed, even the soldiers seemingly standing down to look elsewhere as she whispered, "Marco, we can't just stay here."

"Yeah no shit," he quickly grumbled back, looking over his shoulder as the squad of troops was drawing closer, "we could probably go to the ocean, maybe swim under the-"

"Marco," Star interrupted, keeping his gaze on her despite the surrounding issues, "logically, without my wand there's only one way I can think of to get out of here, so I need you to trust me." She had a deadly serious look in her eyes all of the sudden, and as he struggled to ignore the pain in his legs and chest, Marco's eyes widened.

"No."

"No what?"

"No," he repeated, narrowing his eyes at her with newfound scrutiny, "you're not doing that weird butterfly thing again. I need you awake, and you got weird as hell when you-" Star grabbed his shoulders and inclined her head toward the soldiers, their small band pushing through people, and drawing closer by the second. "It's either Mewberty Star, or you get to die with a clear conscience!"

For a moment, Marco was silent, apparently weighing his options carefully as he glanced at the barrier around the city. "Marco!" Star repeated, glaring at him for even having to think on such a decision.

"Okay! Fine, just...try to stay in control or whatever this time, alright? And don't get all weird on me." He met her grim expression with one of worried appraisal, but Star wouldn't give him the benefit of the doubt. She rolled her eyes at such a stupid question and took a step back. "I only promise to try," she grumbled, letting Marco bear witness to her startling transformation.

His assessment, however, was that he could spend the rest of his life in peace if he never saw it again. He knew what she would look like after, and there wasn't much that would surprise him in this dimension, save for more magic, but Star was one of those things. He watched as she brought her hands together, but was completely unprepared for the four more that had appeared when she pulled them apart.

He watched as her back arched, and two, translucent purple wings tore through the back of her leather armor, flapping as though they had missed the feeling of the warm sun. But what came as the largest shock was her skin. After what he had seem thus far, he had hoped it would just fade to purple, but instead what he witnessed was her skin dry before his eyes, crack, and shatter to reveal a purple epidermis that glimmered with a healthy sheen.

When the creature he knew as Star opened its eyelids, gone were the shimmering sapphire irises he had grown used to, now merely heart-shaped, white hot, empty eyes. In all, the transformation was horrifying, and he almost wished she had just formed a cocoon to save him from the sight of it, but that conversation would be shelved for later. The creature before him had an eye for him, and he needed to get things moving.

"Are you...you?" He asked slowly, carefully assessing her condition. Star, after a moment of hungry staring, tilted her head questionably, as if she had missed the words he just said. "Guess, uhhh… guess not then."

He made to ask if she remembered where she was, what she planned on doing, or if she was even capable of thinking, but their time had officially run out.

Zaleeth, despite having lost them shortly after his ravine spell, could smell the change in the air as plainly as smoke in his nostrils. He had just closed the ravines after a scornful failure when it hit him all at once. That ancient, pure, powerful magic that still resided in the city was close, and after the barrier was activated, it only increased the longer he waited.

He followed the smell, the _feeling_ in the air, it called to him in her voice, and he knew there was nothing else in the world that would satiate his burning desire. Her magic- no, her _body_, her soul, her energy, her spirit, he wanted it _all_. Every ounce, every taste, every drop of blood, he wanted to use her, break her, recreate her, but first, he needed to _find_ her. And now, she called to him in a sweet siren song he knew was meant for him alone. So he followed it.

And what he found was more than he could have ever hoped for. There she was with that mindless monkey of a boy, in all her stunning grace and powerful magic, she was there for the taking. That chattering boy looked nervous, he looked scared, and rightfully so! He had no business in the presence of _gods_, and the sooner Zaleeth had the girl, the sooner he would make that dream a reality.

"I WON'T LET YOU ESCAPE AGAIN, DO YOU _HEAR MEEE_!?" Zaleeth roared, and as intended, both of them looked his way with a mix of shock and rage. He spread all four arms, his talismans and charms rippling as the crowds were all pushed to the side by an invisible force. In each of his hands grew a ball of cackling red energy, before he called out once more, "YOUR BODY WILL BE _MINE! YOU WILL FUEL MY MAGIC, FOR __**CENTURIES!"**_

He threw two of the orbs and dropped down on fours, digging his hands into the street and pumping with his legs as his two remaining orbs were held high. He charged for them as the orbs sailed, and a crazed, wild grin spread across his face as his quarry was finally in sight.

But she was every bit the god he was. Star flexed her back, her face expressionless as her wings shimmered to deflect the orbs into the street behind her. The ensuing explosions ripped through the concrete, sending smoke and debris and flames back for forty yards, but she hadn't moved an inch. She just turned away from Zaleeth as if he was little more than an inconvenience, and continued to eye Marco.

_**E**_ven as the dark magician charged, Marco found himself stuck between the lesser of two evils, the other being the girl he now found as his only chance of escape. He turned to her with wide eyes, frantically grabbing her shoulders in an attempt to secure her attention. "If you're in there, we need to get out of this bubble, now!" He yelled at her, but she was unresponsive as ever to both his demand and the charging beast of a warrior approaching.

She stared at him as the fires raged behind her, deaf to his words but fully captivated by his eyes. Those brown eyes, they darted toward Zaleeth, and then to Star again, before they softened, just for her. "Star, I need you," Marco sighed, just for her, "I need you to save us, so we can keep fighting _together, _okay? Can you help me? Like you did that night?"

It was a gamble, playing her emotions like that, if she could even hear him, but miraculously she grinned. It wasn't a hungry, lustful, or even loving grin, but a smile of peaceful delight in being wanted. Something the foggy part of her mind told her she absolutely craved: someone to need her. Star glanced at Zaleeth, then back to a terrified Marco, before nodding.

He hadn't even managed to say a word before she wrapped four of her arms around him and hugged him against her body. Her strength in this form was unnatural, but he persevered the crushing weight as she turned to face Zaleeth with a coy smirk.

Zaleeth's eyes widened as he deepened his sprint, digging his two free hands into the stone and carving steps into the street.

"NNNNNOOOOOOO**OOOOOO**_**OOOOOO!" **_Zaleeth bellowed, but Star paid him no heed. She spread her wings, pulled her companion even closer, and flapped hard enough to rocket herself into the air with a ***BOOM***. For Marco, it was immediately, unyielding sensory deprivation. The flapping was so loud it rattled his eyes inside of his skull, and the wind blew so hard and cold he felt new terror that his skin would peel from his bones.

But for those who could see and hear, they weren't safe yet from the dangerous foe who now burned with rage. Zaleeth watched her boom from the ground, shooting cracks into the pavement, but her flight was little more troublesome to him than a caged bird to a cat. He forced his boots into the stone below and kicked off with enough force to jettison himself into the air after her, and when she was within sight, he brought both orbs together at his chest.

"YOU! WILL! BE! **MIIIINNNEEE!**" He roared with unrivaled fury and desire, "Frevuta pors breztra levali enduba!"

From the center of his chest, two bones broke off and were pulled into the orb, turning them from a vibrant red, to the deepest of blacks. Both orbs slowly merged into one, the energy with them spinning as furious as their master until they finally reached a terminal point, and the energy was released all at once from Zaleeths palms.

Star, however aware of the world around her as she was, kept flapping towards the barrier with all of her strength, her companion trying desperately to keep his grip tight. But she suddenly felt it, that approaching wave of heat and _revolting_ desire, and shot down at the last possible moment to avoid what had been fired. A wave of energy so dark, it stole sunlight from the air around her, whizzed above overhead and slammed into the barrier before her.

But to her ignorant surprise, the barrier held firm, and the explosion that followed nearly ripped Marco from her grasp as the heat of the sun itself burned the air around her. The shockwave rippled the entire city, shattering windows and tearing the sails off of ships, and as the smoke cleared, Star shook off the dead, purple skin to reveal a fresh purple sheen, having protected her prize well, and shot off in a burst of speed toward the barrier.

Zaleeth could only watch in abhorrent surprise as the girl he so richly desired both evaded and overcame his spell. It wasn't as if it was his most powerful spell, but what angered him, burned his soul against his mind, was that he couldn't use the spell that _was._ Despite all the power he could wield, he still had orders, orders to be followed if he was to receive his rewards. So with his most powerful, _usable_ spell exhausted, he had no choice but to head back down to the city, and answer for his egregious attempt to capture his prize.

But before he could turn away, he noticed the girl hadn't slowed at all, rather, she was speeding up. Star was fast approaching the barrier, and to his horror, she had since armed herself with those brutish hammers, her four other arms clutching the…"The boy," Zaleeth hissed, "You will watch him die, _slowly_, before I ravage you _and_ your magic."

Star, now far away from _that man_, didn't care for idle threats or wasted magical attacks, not that she had the mind to notice them. She had her prize, and he had asked her to save him, so that was all she had on her mind, _among other things._ But that could wait. For now, she had a wall to break down.

With Marco clutched close to her body, and the bad man far behind her, Star gripped her hammers with fierce intensity before filling them with magic. The steel hooks and bells began to glow purple from the handle to the top, cackling with latent magic as Star watched the final yards zip by her, and when she hit the wall, she brought both hammers down hard, willing every ounce of her strength forward.

Zaleeth, the soldiers, the citizens, they all watched with mixed interest and emotions, but all shielded their eyes and ears to the reverberating thrum and the brilliant flash. A wave of rippling heat and thrown dust washed over the city as the ***BOOM!*** stole senses, and the wind threw anything that wasn't nailed down.

As their senses returned and their wits were once again about them, the citizens all watched as the light faded to reveal a hole, shatter-punched clean through the shimmering barrier. The butterfly- the _girl_, she was on the other side before the barrier began to repair itself, glowing brighter as it filled the hole with a *pop*, but what had been seen couldn't be fixed so easily. The people had witnessed the impossible, and the soldiers commanders, they knew it.

Zaleeth, after a short moment of silent shock and deliberation, ultimately scowled in hidden raged before allowing himself to float down to the street below, his armor cracked from the strain, his boots and shinguards all but destroyed. When he reached the ground, a vanguard of men was already waiting, ready for orders and direction, but he was in no mood. "Lower the barrier," was all he growled, his eyes still burning holes of their own through the barrier.

The soldiers exchanged nervous, uneasy looks before the one in charge stepped forward, offering a meager salute to the wizard in charge. "M-my lord...we...w-we can't l-lower it so soon...it would put too much strain on the tower, and the c-city could be destro-" Zaleeth seized the man's throat with two arms and slammed him into the ground.

_**"I**_ DO NOT CARE FOR THE CITY! LOWER, **THE BARRIER**!" He snapped, a ripple of unseen magic pounding against every present man's chest. But the man he held, through choked breaths struggled back against him. "But...innocent-*gak!* ...bystanders…."

*_Snap!*_

Zaleeth would handle no such insubordination, no matter the consequences, and disposed of the soldier quickly, _mercilessly_. He drank in the essence of his life force, finding it little more than a drop to his reservoir, but a drop all the same. With grim acceptance that the soldier had a point he couldn't ignore, or rather that it was a point he had no choice but to concede, Zaleeth turned to the barrier, ignoring the horrified men behind him.

"You will be _mine_, Butterfly," he seethed, the air around him growing hot and the thrum of the ground matching his beating heart, "I will burn that boy's screams into your mind before I take you. And mark my words...I will take _all of you." _And with that, he turned to leave, simply waving a hand for his men to move out and rescue the city from the damage that had been done.

Meanwhile, high above the forests to the south of the city, Marco was struggling to keep his eyes shut and himself from going deaf. The noise was unbearable, easily the loudest thing he had ever heard in his life between the buzzing and The wind passing his ears. And that wind, it felt like a million daggers piercing his skin, which, given the intense head and the boom, he was sure he was severely burned.

Marco fancied himself as resilient, strong even, but with his injuries, his exhaustion, and now the burns and wind? "STAR!" he screamed above the wind, desperate to slow down or to be _put_ down, "DO YOU THINK YOU COULD SET ME _DOOOOooooo_ooooown!" She dropped so fast, he could swear he felt his stomach pressing his heart into his throat. The wind, the buzzing, he could feel himself falling like a rock towards what he could imagine was the forest.

Star scanned the area as she shot toward the ground, finding a small spit of road that looked abandoned enough to land on without issue and headed for that. When she was close enough, she righted her body and maintained a light flap, careful not to shock Marco with too fast a change of speed, and hovered just above the ground. Gently, she deposited Marco on his own feet, the body both disoriented and wobbly at first, before he threatened to puke.

*hurk* "hoo... hokay," he breathed through labored heaves of his aching chest. To say that he wanted to get drunk, and quickly forget everything about the day thus far, was an understatement. "Please never do that again."

Star stared at him and tilted her head silently, as if she was trying to comprehend the idea that what she had done for him wasn't good, that she wasn't needed. Marco, to his credit, immediately took notice of her internal dilemma and held up his hands to clarify, "sorry, I appreciate you saving my ass back there. Just, I really don't like heights, or flying a hundred miles an hour."

At that, she seemed to understand that he had in fact needed her, and was attempting to express something related to gratitude, so she grinned and nodded, her blank, white eyes never leaving his. Now out of danger, Marco found himself wondering just how cognizant she was, and asked softly, "is it like, really you in there, Star? Can you talk?"

Her smile faltered.

"_Maaaaaaarrrrrrcooooooooooo."_

He pressed his lips together and nodded, succinctly creeped out, and hopeful that she could say more than his name, or at least his name in a voice that didn't sound like a reverberating thrum. "Okay then, uhh… can you change back? I kinda have to talk to Star."

A few seconds of awkward quiet rolled by before the creature known as Star shook its head. She stared at him, holding his gaze before her eyes darted down to his lips for a split-second, and she grinned at the prospective opportunity. Marco, however, did not share the same ideals, and quickly folded his arms, glaring at her. "No, nonono, _no._ You're not doing _that_ again," he all but ordered, "go kiss a tree. Or find some random dude on the trail."

Her smile wilted before she crossed two sets of arms and rested the third on her hips, shaking her head ruefully as her wings buzzed. She pointed at Marco directly, emphasizing _him_, followed immediately by pointing the same finger at her lips.

"You can't be serious," he groaned, narrowing his eyes at hers, but all she did was stare back at him, blank and all. The two glared at each other for a moment in a silent arms race of grump, before Marco ultimately sighed, and gave in.

"Fine. Just..._never_ speak of this to Star. _Ever_," he barked, marching right up to the creature and planting a quick peck on her cheek. Fast, formal, friendly, and over before either of them even had time to consider it had happened. He backed up and folded his arms, staring at her before deciding that glaring at the dirt beneath him was a much better idea.

A minute rolled by of more silence than Marco had ever imagined Star could be capable of, before he finally chanced to look up at her. That thing was staring at him, expressionless as ever with her wings buzzing lightly. "What? Was that not good enough for you or something?" He asked incredulously, his cheeks turning scarlet as the seconds ticked by.

She finally blinked, hard, as if it took her this long to understand what he had asked before she shook her head. Marco stuttered for any of several responses to the act, but she silenced him by motioning him closer, smiling with that hungry, _needing_ smile. Marco's cheeks were blazing, his eyes bugging out of his head in a frightening glare, but Star hovered in place undeterred.

"I am _so-ho-ho_, kicking your ass after this is all over," he spat, scowling his heart away as he approached, Star wearing a beaming smile through blank eyes. When he was within arms reach, Star placed two hands on his shoulders, two on his hips, and two wrapped around his back, careful to keep him from getting away this time. And she fully intended to take what she couldn't _last_ time.

Marco glanced down at the base of her six arms, then back up at her face, finding a closer look far less unappealing than he imagined. Around her white-hot, heart shaped eyes were lashes that fanned luxuriously, all capped with tiny hearts to match her cheeks. Her hair, now a ghostly lavender, still smelled like river water, but given that it was one of the few things that remained from the Star he knew, it was her most comforting feature. _She_ was warm, her _breath_ against his neck was warm, and even her once blank expression, it too was warm.

When it became apparent that she was waiting for _him_, slowly, Marco leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, the faintest of contented sighs leaving her nostrils. She tasted...like blueberries, if that was a thing, and although she neither demanded nor initiated any kind of..._un baiser amoureux,_ Marco still felt that same warmth pass from her, to him. She felt comforting, like the tough shell he wore every day was not melting away, but growing stronger through her protection. She felt safe, and steady, like an anchor in his otherwise bat shit crazy life.

Star pulled him closer, she held him tight, she even rubbed the muscles on his shoulders that made her wings weak, and yet? She didn't feel anything. There was no love, no hunger, no _need_ from him, it was purely platonic, and that infuriated her to no end. It was empty, devoid of all passion, that burning desire to crave and _need_ that she so desperately desired. He was just as blank as _she_ had been _forced to be,_ while on Mewni, and it was a pain she had felt before.

When one goes through Mewberty, and they are left alone, they are given no outlet, no one to expel their desire to, the side effects can be dramatic. Queen Moon, Star's mother, had her locked away the moment she began to show signs, and she was forced to spend the entirety of Mewberty without anyone with whom to...conjugate. In turn, Star was effected not directly, but through her butterfly transformation, a staple of the Butterfly matriarch line. She could only transform into this hungry, craving creature, desperate to finish its process, but unable to. And now, that desperation was higher than it had ever been, her desire, craving, and lust insatiable.

After a long moment, both parties experiencing varying forms of discomfort, the two finally parted, Star releasing the hold she had on Marco with visible regret. "There you go, can I have Star back now?" Marco was quick to ask, though his mood was far less offensive than it had been.

He was met with a sadistic grin, the lavender creature eying him with discomforting interest as she fluttered back like a hummingbird. "_Naughty...boy," _she breathed, her voice now far sweeter than it had been before. Maybe she had been releasing pheromones, or maybe he actually found her voice attracting. He didn't know which option scared him more. Thankfully, she shifted back to normal far easier than before, her body blurring before a cocoon of purple hearts burst around her with a quiet *_poof_*.

What was left was thankfully, Star. But unfortunately, her terrified stance and eyes reminded Marco that she had no memory of what had just transpired since she had transformed. "Did...did we make it? Are we safe?" She asked desperately, drinking in her surroundings and placement, "wait… did we just ki-"

"Yes! We made it we're safe hahahahaha," Marco laughed, either nervously or due to the waning adrenaline. When Star shot him a confused look, he coughed into his hand and looked around, caught. "I mean uh… we're safe, thanks to you."

"Well then it looks like we-"

"_Annnnd_ we almost died, _thanks to you_," Marco continued, his tone displaying a clear annoyance with her as Star quickly adopted the same mannerism. "I uh...I know I know," she offered uneasily, her memories flooding back in full force, both from today and the days prior, "I'm _so_ sorry…"

She looked disturbed by something, her gaze glued to the road as she seemed to shrink into herself, but Marco had already made up his mind to deal with the issue here and now. "Star…" he stepped closer to her, and this time after her transformation she didn't back away, "who was that guy?"

She kept her eyes down and didn't say a word, shifting her weight from foot to foot as Marco waited patiently for an answer. But after a moment, when it was clear she wouldn't, he sighed and stepped closer again, now with arms reach. "We trust each other, right?" He asked softly, using that careful, nurturing voice she felt was used almost exclusively for her, for whatever reason. "You almost got us _killed_, so I think I deserve an explanation."

"I don't wanna talk about it right now. Okay? So can we just-" she was trying to get defensive, a tactic he had seen many people use before as she still avoided eye contact, but Marco was having none of it. "No," he barked, folding his arms, still keeping that trademark voice, with a scowl now, "you knew him, and I have a pretty good idea that he was in that village. The next time I saw you, you were that- that _butterfly thing_, and half crazy with fear. So I wanna know: what. Did. He. _Do."_

Finally, she looked back up to meet his eyes and found his expression having shifted to match his softer tone. The isolation and fear she felt immediately began to wither, but with the incident still so fresh on her mind, opening was harder than it seemed. "I...he-...you were…" she stammered, struggling to both shake off her restrictive shackles and to form her thoughts into words, "It was all a lie."

"What do you mean 'a lie'? Like a trap or something?" He asked, keeping that careful tone, "I mean you're here now but, what happened?"

_**"N**_o, like… none of it was even real, Marco!" She yelled, though it was with immediate regret. He winced at her broken expression, and while he believed she had every right to be at least somewhat hysterical, it was still a shock. "The buildings, the people, makeeth! It was all just- just a mirage!"

Marco cocked his head to side and did his best to maintain the calm he was trying so desperately to give her. "You mean we were both just imagining it?"

"No...like," again she faltered, but this time she inhaled sharply, holding it for a moment before slowly releasing her captivated breath. "I mean, you saw what he could do, right?" She asked carefully, earning a nod from him, "well, that guy, he used magic to _make us _hallucinate the entire thing. He wanted me, Marco. He wanted to…_kill me_."

For a moment, he didn't say anything, he just stood there before her in deep contemplation as she began to fear she might have lost him. But eventually he slowly nodded, asking, "Did… he hurt you?" There was a dangerous edge in his voice, as if Marco was even capable of doing anything to the man in question, but the sentiment wasn't lost on Star.

"No...I don't think so. He made me see a fake copy of you, after you left," she answered somewhat bitterly, in a manner that Marco couldn't tell who it was she was annoyed with, "I thought I was at a feast, with food and drinks and people… but I was just alone, sitting in a chair, eating a dead rabbit. If I hadn't come to my senses, Marco… I don't know what he would have done to me. I was so..._helpless_, and he could have done _anything_ to m-"

His arms were around her before she could finish, and corn, he was warm. It could have been due to the overwhelming heat of the blast in the city, but Star didn't care. It was a shock all the same that Marco, _the_ Marco, stone cold, short tempered, quick to agitate, _Marco,_ was hugging her. And it was only after a solid minute of stunned silence, that he spoke.

"I'm so sorry, Star," he mumbled, not am ounce of emotion in his voice, "I should have never left you- I should have been with you."

Star stared at the forest over his shoulder for a moment before matching his hug, realizing they had only hugged once since the bridge. "I already said it was okay, Marco," she softly answered, letting the warmth his body provided lull her into a state of serenity, "I should have listened to you, and maybe I wouldn't've been in that situation. ...but, you know what?"

"What?"

Star gave him a squeeze, one he was happy to reciprocate, especially now that she couldn't literally crush him to death in her six arms. "I have you _now_, and we have each other's backs. So long as those two things stay true, we have nothing to worry about, right?"

Marco, for his size and his general demeanor, surprised her by stepping back from the impromptu hug and giving her a caring, warm smile. "Right. You might've caused some of..._all of_ that crazy nonsense just now, _but_, you did get us out of there," he noted, resting his hands on his hips, "somehow, someway, we'll get him back. Maybe after you get your wand, because now, we have _this."_

He held up the scroll given to him by Helwen, and even if it's edges were a little charred, it was still every bit as valuable. Star could only give him a short nod before breaking out into a smile, both the prospect of vaporizing Zaleeth and returning home brightening her mood. "Should we go find Alwen then?" She asked, inching her head up the road.

Marco nodded and gestured for her to lead the way toward the next step of his genuine, 'get-back-home-alive' plan. Likely, Alwen was getting stone drunk in a bar somewhere, '_among other pleasantries'_, but regardless they needed him and his small army if they had any hopes of getting the cleaver, and getting home.

"_**G**_ood plan, but let's try not to tell him about any of the...crazier shit, yeah?" Marco asked, following Star down the dirt road and towards the Southern Territories.

* * *

_**AUTHORS NOTE**_

_WOW, yall really seem to like this story. Thankfully, I really enjoy writing it, and while I understand that usually I have something to say here at the end for those of you looking for the light on your own bridge, I felt I would extend a quick thank you to everyone reading, following, reviewing, messaging, everything. This story is especially personal to me, and I could not be happier knowing that it's doing so well. So thank you all, it means more than I could ever express through words, the dedication you all show. Thank you for reading, and to my brother, I know this isn't anything valuable or impactful, but I still do it for you, and I hope you like it._

* * *

_"We all look for an escape. From life, from family, from pain, from ourselves, but escape isn't a first response. It's a last resort. We hide in books, we drown in media, we seek out comfort and care in any form, all in the hopes of escaping what we're running from. And while escape might be a viable option for a while, you have to think about what you leave behind, the people you leave behind, and you have to think about what your actions do to those around you. Escape can be good, but first, you should fight."_

_~Mr. Ronald Reagan_

~_**H**_


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